Tales From the Manchurian Plain
by dgharis
Summary: A second collection of short stories set in the Fallout universe in northeastern China, Manchuria, Mongolia, and surrounding areas.
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

INTRODUCTION

This is the second volume of short stories set in the Fallout universe in northeastern China, Mongolia, Manchuria, and surrounding areas. Some of the stories are continuations of previous stories, featuring existing characters; others are entirely unrelated. This is deliberate; the setting is huge and rich with possibilities. It would be churlish of me to restrict the stories to one character or one particular locale, when so many others were equally deserving.

For those who have the inclination to write their own stories in this setting, please do. I cannot possibly live long enough to tell all the stories that can be told. For your convenience I have included a timeline of events in the region which roughly conforms to the Fallout canon and some background material on the peoples and nations in the area. Any differences are due to the differences in viewpoint between the Chinese and the Americans, and to my own preferences; where there is a difference between established canon and the view given in my writings you are of course free to choose whichever appeals to you. This is fiction, after all.

As before, to all those whose creations inspired me to this, I offer my deepest thanks. To all who take the time to read my writings, thank you for your patience; I hope you enjoy them. May they inspire you in turn. To those who take the time to offer advice or criticism, thank you for your help. Hopefully my writing will be improved thereby; I make no promises, though. As before, any errors or omissions are entirely mine and all comments should be addressed to me personally.

Enough talk; on with the stories.


	2. Chapter 2 Border Crossing

BORDER CROSSING

"So when will you return?"  
"In a few hours; we're almost ready. Have to wait for the moon to rise, otherwise there won't be enough light. These woods are pitch black at night, you know."  
"Not much better in daylight. That's why I stay out of them; I want to see what's coming at me."  
Chang smiled at that. "Don't blame you. At your age, better to stay by a warm fire."  
"Hmph. Young fool. Just wait till you're nose to nose with a bear, or one of those tigers. You'll learn exactly why I stay here."  
"No doubt."

There was truth to what old Yun said, though. These days, with men beginning to encroach on their habitat, bears, wolves, and, yes, tigers, were encountered more and more often. The unprepared were found dismembered and half eaten, or simply disappeared. That was why he carried a rifle, which he lovingly maintained. It had saved him more than once from just such a situation as the old man described.

He walked over to where Hin and Mong were sorting the goods into three pack loads. "Good stuff, this time. Some furs, Siberian whiskey, even a little vodka. Should get a good price."  
"True enough, assuming we don't run into trouble. Remember last week? The patrols?"  
"Yeah; cost us a full day to get around them. Bastards."  
"Yes. So we'll take the western route this time; less likely to be patrolled. Take us a bit longer, but worth it."  
"They know we're coming that way?"  
"No; the less people know about it the better. We'll contact them once we're across, in the usual manner."  
"Even more time wasted."  
"Better than somebody ratting us out for a few yuan. Enough talk; let's get going."

They each shouldered a pack, adjusted the straps, slipped on their snowshoes, picked up their rifles, and set off into the night.

The going was easy enough at first; the ground was fairly level, the snow fresh and soft. They made good time until they reached the foothills. Here the ground was sloping and rocky; in the narrowest places they had to remove their snowshoes and wade through. Nothing they hadn't done a hundred times before. By midnight they had reached the crest; from here it was downhill to the stream marking the border.

In truth the border, at least here in the forests of Siberia, was not nearly so clearly defined. One week the Russian troops would be patrolling by the stream, the next the Japanese would be patrolling the hills to the north. Where the border was seemed to depend on the whim of local commanders rather than a line drawn on the map.

"What's that?" Hin pointed to a group of odd shapes in the distance.  
"Don't know; let's get a closer look." They moved off the trail into the trees and made their way to a small rise, carefully staying out of sight. Chang pulled his binoculars out, poked his head out beside some rocks and had a look. "Hmm. Soldiers. Four … five … and a dog."  
"Damn. Now what do we do?"  
"Nothing yet. They don't seem to be going anywhere right away; let's wait and see what they do next."

For the next hour they did absolutely nothing, except walk back and forth and talk to each other. "Hmm. They seem to waiting for someone or something. Strange place for it, though."  
"Waiting for us?"  
"Don't think so. They would have been in cover, right?"  
"True. Who else would be out here?"  
"Nobody I know about."  
"Strange. I don't like it; I don't like it at all."  
"That makes three of us."

Chang held up his hand; all three went quiet. Footsteps on the trail behind them. Several sets of feet, from the sound of it. The feet, at least three sets, went past them and down the slope toward the waiting soldiers.

They moved out into the open and halfway to the stream before they saw the soldiers. There were three of them; two adults and one child. One of the adults yelled something; he and the other pulled out pistols while the child ran back toward the trees. The outcome was predictable; the adults were shot down in a matter of seconds. Bullets pinged off rocks and raised puffs of snow around the child, who miraculously was not hit. He disappeared into the trees.

The soldiers quickly checked the bodies, then began to move up the trail, with the dog leading. Chang swore at that. "That tears it. They'll spot our tracks, and they have a dog."  
"Ambush."  
"Right." The three of them moved off into the woods.

A moment later they passed the child; he was fearfully looking back at the trail and did not see them. Chang nodded to his companions; they split up, one on each side, one just beyond the child. A minute later the soldiers came along the trail, the dog leading on its leash. The child crouched, frozen with fear.

The moment they saw him Chang opened fire, followed by Hin and Mong. The soldiers were completely surprised; none of them even got off a shot. Chang finished by shooting the dog. "Check them; make sure they're dead." Another shot. "You. Come here." The child looked at him wide eyed. "You deaf? Get up and come here, before I beat your butt." The child slowly stood up and warily walked over to him.

A girl, not more than fifteen. "Relax. If we were going to kill you we already would have. You have a name?"  
"Y … yes."  
"Well, what is it?"  
"Min … Min Ting."  
"Sorry about your companions. You know who they were?"  
"My … my father. And my uncle." She dropped to her knees and began to cry.

Chang waited for her to stop. "You know why the soldiers were looking for you?"  
"Yes."  
"Stop that coy act and answer my question." Chang's patience was limited at best; and at the moment he was not at his best.  
"We … my father … knew what was going on. And he … didn't want anyone to know."  
"He? Who's he?"  
"The governor."  
"He has a name, doesn't he?"  
"Yes …"

He scowled at her.  
"Suzuki. Suzuki Yohei."  
"Damn."  
"You know him?"  
"We know about him, yes. The governor of the entire northern frontier district."

"So. He's up to something, is he? Something he wants to keep hidden. You know what he's up to?"  
"No. My father knew; he said he had proof."  
Chang looked at his companions. "Search them. Documents, anything strange they might have. You come with me." He led her back down the trail toward the stream.

"Which one is your father?"  
She pointed, tears streaming down her face. He searched him; a large envelope inside his jacket. The uncle had nothing of value other than his pistol. "Can you shoot?"  
"A little."  
"Here." He handed her father's pistol to her. "Don't use it unless you have to. Got that?"  
"Yes."  
"Come on." They headed back to his companions.

He opened the envelope. Several sheets of closely written script, and several photographs.  
One clearly showed Suzuki talking to someone Chang did not recognize. Another showed two other men talking; one was handing a package to the other. The last showed soldiers escorting a file of prisoners somewhere.

Hin swore when he saw that photo; interesting. "Slavers."  
"How do you know?"  
"Look at how they're chained; normal prisoners aren't held that way. And the mark on that one's neck; a slave brand. More; see how low the sun is? Setting or rising. They're headed uphill; north, so setting sun. Normal prisoners are always taken south; that's where the jails are."  
Chang looked closely at it. "Strange mark; you're sure it's a slave brand?"

Hin opened his collar. On his neck was an identical mark. "Positive. I was a slave until I was fifteen; the guards were careless one night. I killed three of them, took their weapons and equipment, and disappeared. I spent three years in the woods before I met up with you and decided my chances were better as part of a team."  
"You never told us."  
"Not important at the time. Now, though … it seems that my fate is entwined with theirs." He strode over to her and pulled her collar open. On her neck was an identical brand. "That's why you were here with your father and uncle. They rescued you from the mines, didn't they?"  
"Yes. They said they were taking me to a friend, that I would be safe there."  
"And that friend, or someone close to him, sold you out. That's why the soldiers were here waiting for you."

The look of despair on her face spoke volumes. "What … what will happen to me now? I have no one; if I am caught they will send me back to the mines. Better to die than that."  
Chang spoke. "Not no one. I, for one, will help you. I have no love for the soldiers, still less for slavers. And I think Hin may also be relied on, given his history." Hin nodded assent.  
Mong spoke up. "I too will help you." He held up the photo of the two men exchanging the package. "This man I do not know. But the other I do know. Too well. It is likely that he is the one who betrayed you; he would sell his own mother for a rice bun and a cup of tea."  
Chang looked at him. Mong smiled grimly. "I was his partner, the more fool I. He sold me to the police to save his own skin. I managed to escape, but could not go back. That is how I met you; like Hin I decided that I would be better off with a team than alone." He looked at her. "So I too have a debt to pay. And if he is indeed the one who sold you, then I shall repay it with interest."

"Then that is decided. Hin, you and Mong get rid of the bodies. All of them. Min, let's get some suitable saplings and make you some snowshoes."

Half an hour later they were on their way. The bodies were piled off the trail under several feet of snow; it would be some time before they were found. With luck, not until the snow melted, several months from now. As for them, their progress would be slow, given that she was not as fit as they and unused to snowshoes. But as long as they were well away from the area before daylight, and met no patrols, there shouldn't be any difficulty.

They arrived at the farmhouse just before daybreak. Liao opened the door at his knock, then ushered them all in. "Good to see you, young Chang. What do you have for me today?" They unloaded their packs; Liao examined each item, clucking with pleasure. "Good, good. Fine merchandise; this should sell well. Speaking of which; your payment for the last delivery." He handed them a package. "Excellent." Chang stowed it in his pack.

Liao's eye fell on Min Ting. He stopped; he looked again. Then he strode over to his table and rummaged around. Finally he pulled out a folded poster; a photograph with Chinese writing under it. He held it up next to her. "It is you. You must leave this place at once; if the soldiers find you here …"  
Chang spoke. "That's a wanted poster, isn't it?" Liao nodded, yes. "Issued by whom? For what charge?"  
"By the governor. She is charged with murder. Go now, please; if she is found here they will kill us all."  
"All right, Liao. Where would you suggest we take her?"  
"Anywhere else."  
"A little more specific, if you please."  
"All right, all right. Fu Chung might be able to help you. But first, we need to change your appearance a bit, or the soldiers will recognize you just as I did."

Liao pulled out his materials and set to work. He was good at this; in five minutes she looked ten shades darker and twenty years older. With her hair mussed and done up in a bun she looked like any other farm wife. "There. Now get going, before the soldiers show up and we all get a ticket to the scaffold."

"All right, we're going. Calm down, Liao. No one knows we brought her here and we won't bring her back either. So stop worrying about it." Chang pulled on his pack and walked out, followed by the others. "Now we go see this Fu Chung, whoever he is."  
Mong scowled. "I know him. But I don't trust him."  
"Why not?"  
"Because he is an associate of Tang, my former partner. If Tang should learn of my presence, or hers, he would surely go straight to the authorities and sell that information for whatever he could get."  
Hin looked thoughtful. "Then Chang and I should handle this, while you two stay out of sight. But first let us take a good look at that photo, so that if we see Tang we will know him."  
"Agreed."  
They took a few minutes to look it over, then listened while Mong gave them directions to Fu Chung's place of business.

It took a few minutes for them to get to the main road, then a few more to get to the town. Since they were coming in at the same time as all the farmers and merchants, most of whom were bringing wares to sell in the market, no one paid them any attention. Once in town Mong and Min Ting headed to the market while Chang and Hin sought out Fu Chung.

"Should be just around the corner."  
"Right. Let's pause a moment and make sure no one else is interested in it, or us."  
A few moments assured them of privacy. They entered the establishment.

Fu Chung dealt in various liquids, both alcoholic and otherwise. Rice wine, plum brandy, peanut oil, turpentine, fish sauce; if it could be bottled and sold he did so. Bottles, jars, and jugs filled every shelf and most of the floor space. The mix of odors was nearly overpowering. The man himself stood behind a small counter measuring liquids into smaller containers, while customers waited in line for their selection. Eventually their turn came.

"And what may I get for you gentlemen?"  
"A half liter of rice wine, for our evening meal. I am told you offer other services on occasion …"  
"That would depend on who you are and what services you require."  
"I would prefer to discuss that … later. After your regular clientele has gone home. Say sundown?"  
"Sundown it is. I will see you then." They took the wine, paid, and left.

"Wait here. Should we not reappear in five minutes, leave and do not return. If we do reappear, wait five minutes before following us, in case we are followed. If Tang should appear, do not follow us; we cannot risk him spotting you."  
"Agreed."

Chang and Hin went into the shop. It was apparently empty. Chang poked his head around the corner of the counter. Fu Chung lay on the floor. "Damn." Chang knelt beside him. "He's still alive, but only just." Hin handed him a bottle of alcohol. After wiping his face Fu Chung moaned and opened his eyes. "It seems we are too late for our meeting. Who did this?"  
"Tang."  
"Why?"  
"I objected to his activities; he was going to go to the authorities with information on myself and my associates. He unfortunately got the better of me." Chang, who had been examining him, shook his head. Fu Chung smiled weakly. "I already know. If you could perform one service for me?"  
"And that would be?"  
"Send Tang after me."  
"With pleasure."

They left the shop and headed down the street. A few minutes later a figure appeared from a dark corner and followed them. A few minutes after that two more figures appeared and followed him.

Chang and Hin entered the inn. Tang smiled to himself from his hiding place, then turned to go. The way was blocked; a small woman and a taller man. "Excuse me."  
"Not at all." The man stepped aside and Tang made to pass them. That voice … he stiffened as recognition dawned too late. An arm pinioned his; a hand covered his mouth, pulling his head back. "We meet again … for the last time." The woman produced a knife and, holding it with both hands, neatly cut his throat. He recognized her, too, not that it mattered. "Your betrayals are at an end. Goodbye, Tang."  
They dragged him into a corner and left him there. Let the authorities puzzle over who might be responsible; there were so many candidates …

They walked into the inn a few minutes later and sat down with Chang and Hin. "We have a small problem. Fu Chung will not be able to assist us. He has asked us to dispose of Tang for him. I assume you do not object to that?"  
Mong smiled grimly. "That service is already performed. Tang followed you here; we followed him. When the opportunity arose to settle accounts we availed ourselves of it. His body is lying in a dark corner a couple of streets away; his soul is undoubtedly in hell, where I fervently hope seven devils torment him for all time. He deserves no less."

Chang shrugged. "That solves one problem, at any rate. But we are no closer to safety, I fear. The soldiers will still be looking for her. Once they figure out what happened at the border they will be looking for us as well. Tomorrow I will have another chat with Liao. Perhaps he can identify some of the men in those photos. If so we may be able to find out exactly what Suzuki-san and his confederates are up to. We know they are facilitating slave trading, but without proof of his direct involvement we can do nothing."

Hin sighed. "And let us not forget that our hands are not clean either. There is the matter of the dead soldiers, and now Tang as well. And if Liao can be made to talk they will learn of our other activities. We are not in a position of advantage."

"True enough. Let us get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be very busy."

Liao scowled at the photos. "That one, the one of the slaves being taken, does not show anyone clearly enough for identification. The second, of Tang and one other; the second man is a frequent visitor to town, although he does not live nearby. His name is Lin Po-Kwan."  
"Korean?"  
"Of Korean ancestry, yes."  
"And the other photo? The one on the left is Suzuki-san, of course; I have seen his picture often enough. But the other?"  
"Is unknown to me. Russian, to judge from his dress and appearance."  
Chang took a closer look. Yes, definitely Russian. Who could he be? He shrugged; deal with that later. Liao looked at him. "Be careful with Tang. He would sell anyone for anything."

"I already know. But he is no longer a concern, as of last night."  
"Oh? And who might be responsible for that?"  
"Let us say that the murder charge is now true."  
"I see. Give her my thanks; I too have been wronged by him in the past."

"I will. What do you make of the documents?"  
"The first is a report on individuals known to frequent the border region. Your names are included, although they do not mention any specific activities."  
"Interesting. And the next?"  
"Is a bill of sale, made out to certain individuals of Russian extraction. Exactly what they are purchasing is not specified, but the price per item is high enough to be slaves. The seller is likewise not specified, although the document being in Japanese would indicate the seller is Japanese or Korean."  
"And the last?"  
"Is an order specifying the execution of a particular individual. To wit, your lady friend. The execution was to be a staged accident at the mine. I gather her relatives' actions, followed by yours, have prevented that for the moment. I am curious to know why she is such a threat to them."  
"As am I. I have the feeling not even she knows."

Chang scooped up the documents and photos and shoved them back in the envelope. "Better if I keep them. You would be hard pressed to explain to the authorities how you came by them."  
"Indeed. Take care, young Chang. You are fishing dangerous waters."  
"Don't I know it. Take care, Liao. Oh, and should the authorities come calling, tell them the truth; do not put yourself unduly at risk on our account."  
"Thank you for your concern. Good day to you."  
"And to you."

"He is the one?"  
"Yes. Let's see where he goes."  
"Probably to that inn; the bartender said they often met there."  
"Then we should meet him there as well." They followed him discreetly in. Chang sat down next to him.

"If you are waiting for Tang, he will not be here." Their man sat up straight. "No need for alarm; I only wish to ask you a few questions. Should you answer them truthfully you may go on your way unharmed. If you prove uncooperative … that would be unfortunate." The man looked quickly to the left, straight into the eyes of Hin. When he saw the brand on his neck his eyes grew wide. "So … you recognize that, do you? Interesting. We have much to discuss, Lin Po-Kwan." Lin's alarm visibly increased. "Let us go somewhere more private." Chang took him by the elbow and guided him away.

Lin Po-Kwan proved to be most cooperative; his knowledge illuminated many dark corners. When they were satisfied he had told them all he could Chang smiled at him. "Thank you for your assistance. You may leave, unharmed, as I promised. The soldiers, however, may not be so kind. I suggest you seek some quiet spot away from prying eyes to spend the next few days. Perhaps matters will have been resolved by then."

After he left Chang and the others left also. "We should also change our location; he may well go to the soldiers anyway, in spite of our warning against it."  
"True. And now?"  
"Now I will go see an old friend. The rest of you should wait for me elsewhere; I must do this alone. Should I not return, which might come to pass, head back over the border."

"You. What are you doing here? Come to atone for your crime?"  
"Not today, sergeant; I wish to speak to the captain."  
"And if he throws you in jail instead?"  
"I will risk that."  
The sergeant looked intently at him. "Either you are mad or you have something you believe to be of great value. Very well; follow me and we shall see which it is."

Captain Aragi glared at him. "I should have you marched outside, stood against the wall, and shot. I still might, unless you can convince me not to."  
Chang sighed. "May I sit? This will take some little time." The captain nodded and Chang seated himself. An orderly brought them tea, then left, closing the door behind him.

When he had finished the captain looked at him. "An interesting story. What proof have you?"  
"This." Chang handed him the envelope. He and the sergeant examined the contents.  
The photograph of Suzuki definitely held his interest. "You know this man?"  
"No. Nor did Lin. Russian, to judge from his appearance and dress."

"Dmitri Arsenov. An influential man in Siberia; he owns the mines north of here."  
"The same ones, no doubt, from which her relatives rescued her."  
"And to which these unfortunates were being taken. Yes, I know about the trade. But with no hard evidence I could take no action. Now, though; perhaps we can make some progress. And you will assist with that."  
"As you wish."

"Good. She is with your companions, true?"  
"Yes."  
"Excellent. By now Suzuki will have learned that she still lives and has returned. He will be frantic at that; she could ruin all for him."  
Chang looked puzzled. "How so? She is a former slave, true, but nothing special beyond that."

The captain looked evenly at him. "Not so. She is his daughter, by a Chinese prostitute. The man she referred to as her father was actually her stepfather. If the circumstances of her parentage became known he would have been publicly humiliated and his career damaged beyond repair."

"And if it were known he had sold his own daughter as a slave, he would be cashiered and imprisoned. I see now why he wishes her dead."  
"No doubt. And a desperate man often resorts to desperate measures. Therefore you will keep her safe at all costs; without her we have nothing. In the meantime I will lay my trap for Suzuki-san and his confederates."

The next few days were nerve wracking. Chang and his companions moved every day; sometimes in town, sometimes not. By the time the trap was set he was heartily weary of the whole matter.

It did not help that she had deceived him. She did point out, though, that he was unknown to her and might well have been in league with Suzuki or willing to betray her to him. He grudgingly accepted the truth of this, but still felt put upon.

"Chang."  
"Yes?"  
"We are watched. At least two, over beyond the shed."  
"Mong is with her?"  
"Yes."  
"Good. I'll tell them to prepare; things may get interesting tonight."  
"Indeed they may."

He moved into the inner room. Mong nodded when told. "I expected them sooner, in truth. We are ready."

"Hin?"  
"Yes; they are preparing to attack. At least a dozen of them are creeping up to the cottage."  
"Let them enter; we want them split up, with no room to maneuver."  
"Right."  
He took up his own position and waited.

There was a crash as the front door splintered; two men burst through with pistols ready, then fell as Hin and Chang fired together. The next pair opened fire from outside the door; more moved around to the windows. Chang ducked as bullets splintered the desk covering him; he heard Hin yelp with pain. Another man loomed over the desk, gun ready; he and Chang fired together. His head snapped back and he dropped as Chang sagged to the floor, hit in the chest.

More shooting, shouting, and feminine screams from inside. Then silence. More men moved through; one stopped next to him. "Meddlers. Bring them inside." Suzuki; no mistaking that voice. A hand grasped his collar and dragged him into the room. He looked up from the floor to see Suzuki facing his daughter. Hin lay on the floor next to him bleeding from a leg wound.

"So we meet again, daughter. A shame it had to be in this manner." The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable; she spit full in his face. He wiped his face with his sleeve, then turned away from her. "Kill them."

The order was obeyed, but not in the manner he intended. Shots rang out from the doorways and the windows; Suzuki's men dropped like flies. Armed and armored soldiers burst in, weapons ready. Captain Aragi was among them. "I trust I am not too late."  
Chang laughed, then coughed. "Perfectly timed, as always."

The captain turned to face Suzuki. "Why, Governor, what a surprise to find you here. I see you and your daughter have been reunited as well."

Suzuki turned and started to speak; the Captain peremptorily waved him to silence. "Spare me the speech, Suzuki-san. Your associates are in custody; their confessions were most interesting. My Russian counterpart is paying Gospodin Arsenov and his associates a visit as we speak; given conditions at the mines I doubt very much whether they will like the outcome."

"You do not have the authority to arrest me."

"Oh, come now, sir. What do you suppose I have been doing all this time?" The Captain produced an official letter and laid it on the table. "An order for your arrest, signed by the Minister of Police himself. And you are under arrest, Suzuki Yohei, as of this moment. The crimes of which you are accused are kidnapping, murder, conspiracy, trafficking in contraband, and sundry other minor offenses. You will be conveyed to the nearest jail and held there until transportation to Shenyang for your arraignment and trial is arranged." He signaled to his soldiers. "Take him away."

Before they could act Suzuki snatched a pistol off the table, then stopped and fell forward onto it, with the hilt of her knife protruding from his back. The medic examined him, but nothing could be done; Suzuki Yohei never did stand trial.

They sat in a little tavern; three of them. Chang, Hin, and Min Ting. Mong had not survived that night; they turned over a glass in his memory.

"What will you do now, Min Ting?"  
"I do not know. Now that the nightmare is ended and I am free, I find myself at a loss. And you?"  
"Good question. We might return to our former trade, although we would have to relocate; we are altogether too well known here."

She looked at him. "How did you come to take up that trade?"  
"It is a simple tale. I was a scout for the Captain, attached to his unit unofficially. One of his soldiers, deeming himself superior to me, attempted to beat me one night. He was found dead the next morning, shot through the head. In the circumstances I felt it best to terminate my employment and seek temporary refuge across the border. Eventually I fell in with some individuals who engaged me to transport certain items for them."

"I see. Well, since I have no other employment, and you seem to be short one person …"  
"It is a hard life, with many dangers and few comforts."  
"Better than slavery. I will try it for a while; if I prove to be unsuited to it I can always try something different later."

She smiled at him; he mumbled something and turned away while Hin feigned extreme interest in the contents of his cup. "Well?"  
"I … ah … very well. You are welcome to accompany us, Min Ting."  
"Thank you. When do we start?"  
He looked at Hin. "Tomorrow, I think. We have overstayed our welcome here, at any rate."  
"Of course." She rose from the table. "See you tomorrow." She walked away. Hin watched her leave, then turned to Chang.

"Don't say it."  
"Say what?"  
"Just be quiet, okay?"  
"Sure."

He smiled as Chang walked away.


	3. Chapter 3 Bank On It

BANK ON IT

"Well, we going to do this or not?"  
"Of course. According to all reports it's still there. Shouldn't be difficult to find. Once we find it, you should be able to get in, right?"  
Liu shook his head. "You make it sound easy. It's never easy. We've been shot, stabbed, burned, bludgeoned, choked, buried, chewed on, and otherwise nearly killed on these "easy" jobs of yours. Including the last one, on which we were nearly blown to bits."

Jin smiled. "It's only a bank vault. What could possibly go wrong?"  
"Oh, only about a million things. Why?"  
"Well, if you don't want the money …"  
"I didn't say that; I only said that it's always harder than it looks."  
"There I agree with you. Gou did give us explicit directions, though; if those are accurate we shouldn't have too much trouble."

Liu pulled the map into the center of the table. "One thing does bother me. It lies here, in the low area next to the river. If it's flooded, we could have a problem."  
"We have snorkels if we need them. If that's not enough we'll fall back and try again later; it's not going anywhere."  
"I wasn't thinking of air; more of animals. If we're attacked while we're underwater we'll be up against it."  
"True, but in that case we'll back off and come back when we're better prepared, like I said."  
"If we can. Well, let's get started."

The guide pointed out the spot to them. "Through that opening is the access tunnel, which parallels the main storm sewer. Follow it for a quarter mile or so to the intersection, bear left, then look for a passage leading left. That should bring you into the basement of the store across the street. From there you're on your own. Don't dally; it's on the outer rim of the crater and the levels are pretty high there. You should be able to come back the same way. We'll wait for you here, assuming you make it."

"Thanks. See you in a few hours."  
"Got the detector?"  
"Set and running; let's go."  
They set off into the tunnel, keeping as quiet as possible. No telling who or what might be in here; better to be ambusher than ambushed.

For the quarter mile or so of access tunnel there were no real problems, apart from a few rats. That was knife work; gunfire would have alerted everything down there to their presence. At the intersection they turned left and immediately ran into trouble.  
"Water. And something moving in it." They paused and listened. A clicking sound as the creatures moved. Then a gentle trilling as one signaled to its neighbor.  
"Mirelurks. At least two."  
"Where there's two, there's more. Let's see if we can get by them."

They approached as quietly as they could; the clicking and trilling grew louder. There were at least a half dozen of them ahead; the chances of getting by them were minimal.  
Jin turned and shook his head at Liu; too many, go back. As he did so one lumbered into view, head down and claws forward in combat stance.  
Liu cursed as his pistol rounds bounced off the creature's shell; Jin's rifle was scarcely more effective. It rapidly closed the distance. Behind it another one came into view, drawn by the noise. Liu stepped back, switching to his shotgun; Jin fired as it swiped at him, knocking him sideways. Its other claw snapped inches from Liu's face.

Liu fired; the first shot staggered it. The second hit it square in the face, blowing it into bloody ruin. Maddened with pain, it rushed Liu, knocking him down. His shotgun flew from his grasp. Another shot rang out and it collapsed on top of him. An explosion filled the tunnel with dust and debris; a rumble and deafening crash announced the collapse of the tunnel roof.  
Liu pushed it off of him to one side. He turned on his flashlight and swept it around. Jin was just in front of him, holding his leg. Beyond the tunnel was blocked by fallen debris. Liu retrieved his shotgun.

"How is it?"  
"Not good. He got me good."  
Liu slit his trouser leg and examined it. "Deep, but didn't get the artery. Give me a couple minutes to bandage it. What happened to the tunnel?"  
"Grenade. Must have been pretty weak already."  
"Yeah. Lucky it didn't fall on us. But we'll have to find another way through."  
"True. Backtrack to the intersection and go left again. See if there's a back way in."  
"Okay, all set. Can you stand?"  
"Yeah. I can walk, too, but I won't be winning any races any time soon." They set off back to the intersection.

Liu stiffened; Jin looked at him in alarm. From down the access tunnel, more clicking and trilling. "Lovely. Just lovely. Now how do we get out of here?"  
"Since they're between us and home, we'll have to find an alternate route. For now let's head the other way; see if we can find a way to the vault which isn't guarded by half a dozen or more of them."  
"After you." They moved warily off, expecting at any moment to be charged from behind.

The tunnel ended at a cross tunnel; they took the left hand branch again. "Passage left."  
Liu shone his light into it. "Stairs leading down. Where to, I wonder?"  
"Since it's headed in the right direction, let's find out." Down they went, deeper into the darkness.  
"Well, would you look at that. Looks like we're not the first ones to try this." A hole in the wall of the service tunnel led to a rough passage through the dirt and rock to another hole. Liu shone his light through; a bank vault. "Interesting."

The interior had been ransacked; safety deposit boxes were scattered all over the floor, their contents lying about. Any money or other valuables were long gone. The vault door was still shut; obviously whoever broke in had no interest in the rest of the bank.

But that was not what drew their attention. Sitting on portable tables in the middle of the vault was a laboratory set up. Dozens of bottles and vials, some empty, some full, glassware and tubes, portable burners, instruments, tools; everything necessary for the creation of whatever chemicals were in those bottles and vials.

"Drug lab. What do you suppose they're making?"  
"No idea. Care to sample the merchandise to find out?"  
"I'll pass, thanks." They moved over to the tables and examined the contents.  
"Inputs?"  
"Jet; ethanol; caramelized sugar; detergent."  
"Unh huh. Ultrajet."  
"That's what I thought. Didn't know anyone was still in that business."  
"Me neither. I guess there's still a market for it, though."  
A voice from the passage; "Bank on it."

Standing in front of the passage entry was a tall ghoul in a lab coat; the very image of the mad scientist, except for the submachine gun in his hands. Voices in the passage indicated at least three more individuals. "And what brings you two to my humble establishment?"  
"Curiosity about the contents of this bank vault."  
"You didn't, by chance, learn of it from an individual named Gou?"  
"Not by chance, no."

"I see. Unfortunate. Since it seems the location of my laboratory has become known I shall have to move it. It would be difficult for me if the authorities were to visit." Three more ghouls entered, carrying crates of supplies. All were heavily armed.  
"So now what?"  
"Unfortunately I will have to dispose of you two. I have already dealt with Gou, so no one knows you are here. I apologize for that; it is through no fault of yours that you have come to this point." He signaled to his companions.

Six weapons fired. The scientist lay on the floor, with a bullet hole where his right eye once was. His companions lay scattered about, in equally poor condition. Jin crawled over to where Liu was lying. "Liu!" No answer; he put his head on Liu's chest. An audible sigh of relief; heartbeat and respiration were fine. "Must have hit his head." He leaned back against a table and began to minister to his own wounds.

Liu moaned and opened his eyes. At first they refused to focus, but after a few seconds his vision cleared a bit and he tried sitting up. Jin sat in a chair across from him, bandages on his leg and both arms.

"You look like hell."  
"You don't look so great either, but we're both better off than them." Jin gestured at the bodies. "Didn't know you were that good a shot."  
"I'm not; just got lucky that time. Didn't know you were that fast."  
"Normally I'm not. But the good doctor's product is, I'm happy to report, quite effective."

Liu stared at him. "You took some of that?"  
"Of course; since we were going to be killed anyway it seemed worth the risk."  
"But that stuff is incredibly addictive!"  
"Have to be alive to worry about that."

Liu paused. "I suppose so."  
Jin looked at him. "I know he shot you; I saw it. How is it you're unwounded?"  
Liu chuckled, then reached out and handed Jin a metal tray. "Good quality steel, that." The surface was deeply dented in five places.  
Jin laughed. "I guess it is. Good thing he didn't aim at your head."

They searched the bodies and crates; not much of interest, beyond the drugs. The good doctor had a sizeable amount of cash; business had been good, it seemed. Their weapons and ammunition would also be useful, so those were collected as well. "Now for the fun part. We get to try and find a way past the mirelurks."  
"Yeah. Can you walk like that?"  
"Barely. If we meet them I'll have to stand and fight; no outrunning them like this."

"True. Well, nothing for it; we'll just have to try."  
Jin smiled. "Maybe not. The doctor didn't have to fight his way in here, did he?"  
"Didn't look that way, no. So there must be another way in and out."  
"Right. Let's see if we can find it."

They left, with Jin leaning on Liu for support. Back at the service tunnel they turned right; going left meant going toward the river, toward higher radiation and more mirelurks. At the intersection they turned left and began to look for another passage out.

"Up there, on the right. Looks like a ladder; manhole, maybe."  
"Well, we can at least have a look." They hobbled up to it. "I'll check it out."  
"Of course; I'm certainly not going to climb a ladder without help." Liu started up.

Jin waited as he ascended. Then, from down the tunnel, clicking. He swore to himself and readied his shotgun. More clicking; several of them. Trilling. He flattened himself against the wall of the tunnel, willing them to go back, to pass by without seeing him.

A shaft of light from above illuminated the ladder. In its glare Jin saw them; at least six, led by the biggest one he had seen yet. They charged him as he grabbed the ladder and pulled himself up as best he could. He knew he couldn't get out of their reach, but …

Shotgun blasts, one after another, just past his head. Jin flattened himself against the ladder. Liu's voice, from above; "Hurry! Get your butt up the ladder! Move!" Jin resumed his climbing. He looked up to see Liu wedged between the ladder and the tunnel wall, frantically reloading. Then his grip was nearly shaken loose as the ladder was ripped loose at its base. He grabbed hold and looked down to find the big one tearing at the ladder, trying to rip it off the wall. Suddenly he was struck from above as Liu was thrown from his perch.

Jin managed to grab him as he fell past; Liu dangled in mid air, suspended by his collar, firing wildly at the mirelurks below. With a heave that nearly tore his arm off Jin pulled him back onto the ladder. Liu grabbed it with one hand, still firing with the other. "Get moving! I can't hold them off forever!" Jin began climbing again, with Liu alternately climbing and firing behind him.

There was a crash of glass as a container shattered on the floor of the tunnel, followed by a clinking sound as a small object bounced off the ladder on its way past them. There was an explosion, then a roar as the tunnel was filled with fire. The lurks scattered in all directions, covered in flames. Even halfway up the ladder Jin and Liu could feel the heat.

A hand reached through the manhole and pulled Jin up into daylight. Liu followed a few seconds later. They looked at their benefactors. A small female ghoul stood to one side as her male companion appraised his catch. "Welcome to our little slice of heaven. I'm Han; she's Ryuko. You are?"  
"I'm Jin; he's Liu. What brings you to this godforsaken spot?"  
"We were told we could follow the service tunnels to a spot southwest of here, then work our way to the target."

Liu looked at Jin. "That target wouldn't have been a bank vault, would it?"  
"Let me guess; you were headed there, too."  
Jin laughed. "You wouldn't have gotten your info from someone named Gou, would you?"  
"How … that … that … I'll kill him."

Liu chuckled. "If what we were told is correct that is already done."  
"And you know this how?"  
"The original occupant of that vault told us he had done so. If you are thinking of contacting him, he is also deceased; the result of a difference of opinion between ourselves and him. Although you might visit the vault, there is the matter of the mirelurks to get past, and there is not much there to see or take. Unless you wish to manufacture Ultrajet."

"Not really. We are more interested in monetary gain."  
"Then perhaps we can accommodate you somewhat. To repay you for your assistance a few moments ago." He reached into his pack and extracted the doctor's bundle of cash. Half he handed to Han. "I trust that will defray your expenses to this point."  
"Indeed it will. Thank you."  
"You're welcome. I trust you know a way out of here."  
"Indeed we do."

"Then, after we've had a chance to catch our breath, we'll head that way. If you don't mind, that is."  
"Since it seems our journey is now pointless, yes. Ah well; there will be other ventures."  
Jin and Liu looked at each other, then at them. "Indeed there will."


	4. Chapter 4 Prevention

PREVENTION

Feng sat at his usual table, enjoying his tea. The capital was always crowded, but today, before the holiday, a little less so. He actually preferred that; although the distractions provided by masses of people were a great help to him at times, they could also interfere. And today he did not welcome interference.

Ah, there. The person who currently held his interest had crossed the street, no doubt heading home after concluding his business. That shop was frequented by all sorts, most of whom were associated in one way or another with the Japanese embassy or various businesses in the city. He had spent several months tracking most of them and charting their relationships with one another.

This person was at the center of the chart. That did not put him in charge, but it did mean he probably knew who was. The question was how to gain that knowledge without alerting anyone to his interest. Not a simple or easy problem. He sipped some more of his tea.

Kawase Yukio sat across from her superior, sipping tea.  
"Matters are still in hand?"  
"Of course."  
"He is still there, watching?"  
"Yes. This makes six months or so."

"Hmm. Then he probably knows about most of the people who frequent the place."  
"Yes. Your idea was excellent; even if they arrest everyone there it will make little difference to us."  
"Exactly. Now; are they still going forward with their arrangement?"  
"As far as I know, yes. But there is a large obstacle to overcome. The railroad does not extend much past the refinery; they would have to add at least another two hundred miles of track to reach the nearest town in Jin Wei."  
"True, but that could be done in a matter of months. And they would extend it; they have every incentive to do so."

"And when it is complete? Half a million tons of fertilizer per year could more than double the agricultural output of Jin Wei."  
"Actually, they would only use a fraction of that. The remainder would be resold."  
"Spreading out through the region like ripples in a pond. A question; why would we not buy some from the Chinese?"  
"Because it would benefit the Oni, to our disadvantage."  
"The Oni will benefit, whether we participate or not. Unless we sabotage their efforts, which would unite the Chinese and Oni against us."

"That is being considered. You are right about it, though; if not carefully done our part in it could become known, which would increase our problems considerably."  
"That is a vast understatement and you know it. We cannot afford such a risk."  
"That is not our choice to make. Our duty is to observe and report."  
She sighed. "Very well. But we will regret every moment of it should we do such a foolish thing."

Yukio sat at the table behind Feng. Amazing how easy it was to lead someone down the garden path. He obviously did not consider the possibility that any other activity could be occurring. Perhaps, when he had served his purpose here, she could find other uses for him.

However, that would have to wait. First was the matter of her employer's intended sabotage of the Oni facilities. She would have to acquire more information; her course of action would be clearer then. Time to talk to an old friend. She finished her tea, paid the bill, and left.

"When are they making the arrests?"  
"Tonight, after midnight. I tried to get them to hold off a bit longer, but they insisted. The ministry must really be breathing down their necks."  
"Damn. That will spoil everything. As usual, we'll get the small fish and the big ones will get away. Just once, I'd like to run things my way. Just once." Feng Chi scowled and tossed back his beer.  
"Nothing we can do about it. At least we'll get the small fish, as you put it."  
He sighed. "Better than nothing, I guess."

Feng Chi left the bar with the feeling he had missed something, something important. On impulse he started walking back toward that street. When he reached the alley that led behind it he paused. Voices from down the alley; the police were already in place. He settled back to watch.

She knocked at the door; he opened it a crack. "May I come in?"  
He smiled at her. "Of course." He opened the door enough for her to slip in and quickly closed it behind her. "And how are you doing this evening, Miss Yukio?"  
"Well enough, Victor, thank you. Yourself?"  
"As ever. And what may I do for you this evening?"

"First, some tea, if you would."  
"Certainly." He poured two cups and set one in front of her. Taking the other he seated himself opposite her. "Something is troubling you."  
She sighed. "Yes. But before we get to that matter I wish to know how matters stand between the Oni and Jin Wei. Specifically, whether the agreement to sell fertilizer has been finalized."  
"Not yet. Largely because Jin Wei does not yet have a reasonable way to distribute it. Nor is there a reliable method to supply the Oni with the products they have requested in return."  
"And those are?"

"Various metals; certain chemicals useful in the production of explosives; and livestock."  
"Livestock? Whatever for?"  
Victor smiled. "Apparently they wish to increase meat production. Since much of their territory is not arable it would make sense for them to devote some of it to animal husbandry."  
She sipped her tea. "What quantities are we talking?"  
"Roughly half a million animals; mostly sheep and goats, which would be better adapted to the terrain and climate than cattle. But five thousand or so horses as well."  
"Hmm. I imagine those would be used principally in Mongolia, as pack animals. Even the largest would not carry Oni for any distance."

"Not currently, no. But if they were to modify them to increase their size …"  
She smiled. "Assume they start such a program. How long would it take them to produce modified horses? Ten years? Twenty?"  
He looked evenly at her. "Such a program already exists. They started actual experimentation ten years ago, so they're pretty far along. This purchase says they're ready to start production."

"Even so, it will take some time to work out the details. I don't expect to see large quantities of mounted Oni any time soon. And five thousand isn't all that many; even if their production was that much a year, that's only a fraction of their army. And the terrain doesn't favor them, at least for the most part. Too rough."  
"Perhaps. I agree that it would only be a small increase in Oni strength. And you are right; the terrain in and east of the Khinggans does not really favor mounted forces. So they would probably be employed in Mongolia. But there they would be very effective."  
"True. And the increase in meat production would enable them to increase their population, as well as providing more variety to their diet. Which would ensure their food supply."

She paused; Victor looked at her intently. "The matter which is troubling you?"

She sat back in her chair and went into a brown study. Victor quietly waited for her to come to a decision. "My superiors are considering taking a large risk. A very large risk." He waited for her to continue. "Too large a risk, in my opinion. The negative consequences, should we fail or be discovered, would be such as to damage our relations in the region for a decade or more."

Victor smiled. "They are considering action against the refinery, or the attached fertilizer plant, or both." She raised an eyebrow; he smiled wider. "An obvious course of action. Too obvious. The Oni, of course, are prepared for such attempts; they would be fools not to be, and they are not fools. Your superiors would be fortunate indeed to succeed in such an attempt, and doubly so to be undetected. The risk of failure, or worse, discovery, is very high."

"And if you know that, so does Jin Wei … and the Oni. The risk is too high. But they are going to try anyway. It will be a disaster; I must find a way to avoid that outcome."  
"You would go against your own superiors?"  
"If need be, yes."  
Victor looked at her. "You would be disgraced. Cashiered. Perhaps even executed."  
"No matter. The consequences of that folly far outweigh such petty considerations."

She rose from her chair. "Thank you for the tea, Victor. But if I am to avert this disaster I must begin now."  
He smiled at her. "The best of luck to you, Miss Yukio. You will need it."

Feng Chi sighed thoughtfully to himself. It was midnight and the police were moving in, making their arrests. Only a few of those he had identified were here; the rest were undoubtedly being detained in other locations. Tomorrow he would see who had been arrested and who had not. Perhaps something might yet be salvaged from the wreck.

He left the alleyway and began heading home, only to run straight into the very person who most interested him. Almost reflexively he seized him and pulled him aside into a dark corner. The man nearly panicked and tried desperately to free himself. "I … I have no money …"  
"I am not interested in your money. Nor in harming you. If you are heading to Yung's shop, now is not a good time. The police are visiting him; I fear the outcome will not be to his liking."  
The man stared at him wide-eyed. "How … who …"  
"I have been observing you and the others for some time. But we should discuss that elsewhere, before the police take an interest in us as well." He led the man away, toward his rooms.

"An interesting development. The Chinese authorities rounded up our decoy agents last night. With one exception."  
Yukio paused. "Oh? Who?"  
"Your go between."  
"Really. And how did he escape?"

"He was accosted by your observer, who kept him out of the authorities' reach in exchange for a promise to assist him."  
"Interesting indeed. Perhaps they may yet be of use."  
Her superior nodded assent. "I will leave that in your capable hands. If you could, say, use them as the nucleus of a new decoy group …"  
"Exactly. We will begin tomorrow. It is time I met this observer."

Feng Chi sat in his usual spot, sipping tea. The roundup of the previous night had been thorough; give them credit for that. The man he had intercepted had been the only one to escape arrest. Now he was free only so long as he cooperated with Feng; if he did not Feng would simply give his name to the police.

"Feng Chi?"  
"Yes; you are?"  
"Call me Satori; that will do for now." An attractive Japanese woman, tastefully dressed; mid thirties, medium height.  
Feng smiled. "And what may this one do for you?"

"I believe we are in a position to assist each other. My colleague tells me you were kind enough to keep him from being arrested."  
"Did he also mention my price for my silence?"  
"He did. And we will meet that price."  
"Excellent. But you did not come here just for that."

"Indeed not. I doubt whether your superiors would wholly approve of your actions; if they were to learn of your interference they might be annoyed at you."  
"Go on."  
"As with your arrangement with my colleague, so with you and I. My silence on the matter in exchange for your cooperation."

"I will not betray my country."  
"I will not ask you to. Indeed, what I have in mind will be to their benefit."  
He looked suspiciously at her. "And just what do you have in mind?"

"Nothing complex. I merely wish you to convey certain information to your superiors, on a regular basis. Should they inquire as to your source you may tell them whatever you like; I leave that to your judgment."  
"What kind of information?" "That is dependent on circumstances. But you can start by telling them that Japanese agents may engage in one or more attempts to sabotage the oil refinery and petrochemical plant the Oni are in the process of assembling in the northern Gobi. The information is vague at this point because the plans are still in the formative stage; we will pass along more information as it becomes available."  
"Interesting. Why are you telling me this? Would it not be to your advantage to delay the Oni's plans?"

She looked evenly at him; he met her gaze. "Very well. If they are discovered, as is probable, Jin Wei and the Oni would be united against us. Others may well join their alliance. I believe the gamble to be unwise. If I can abort the attempt before our part in it is discovered all will benefit; we will not have to face that alliance, you and the Oni will have petroleum products, and others may benefit as well."

"I see. Truly matters are backwards; it would be in my interest, and that of my government, to keep silent and let your agents be caught, with all the negative consequences for your country. But my personal interest, and my government's, is outweighed by that of my people, who stand to benefit more from fertilizer than an anti-Japanese alliance. So I will help you conspire against your government, and in so doing conspire against my own."

She smiled at him. "Good. Very good. Let us begin our campaign."

Yukio frowned at her superior. "Fools. Do they not understand? The Oni are ready and waiting; they expect such an attempt to be made. Our agents would be walking into a trap."  
Her superior held up a hand. "Please. I agree with you; an attempt at this time and place would be inadvisable. But it is not our decision to make."  
"True, but we can at least warn them of the dangers. Indeed, we would be at fault if we did not do so. You have told them, haven't you?"  
"Yes. They do not want to hear; they are determined to proceed, no matter the cost."

She clenched her teeth in frustration. "Must we sit and do nothing while they lead our empire over the precipice?"  
"Kawase Yukio, it is not our decision to make. And not our place to interfere; is that clear?"  
"Perfectly. So we sit back and watch the disaster unfold. Wonderful." She paused. "Very well. I will salvage what I can from the wreck."  
"Unfortunately, that is all we can do."

Feng Chi shook his head in amazement. "You cannot be serious. That is the stupidest idea they have ever come up with."  
The man across from him smiled. "Agreed. Nevertheless that is what they have decided to do."  
"And if they are discovered? And our part in it comes to light?"  
"The Oni would be offended. They will certainly cancel any arrangement they have with us; they might even attack us, to punish us for our folly. A state of affairs the Japanese would certainly take advantage of."

"Exactly. They could not have chosen a worse course of action. Even doing nothing would be better." Feng paused and composed himself. "So what can we do to dissuade them?"  
"Nothing. They are determined to do it."  
"Idiots. They would damage or destroy the plants, destroy our chances of a favorable trade agreement with the Oni, and deprive our farmers of needed fertilizer, all for the sake of attempting to deceive the Oni into blaming the Japanese for their troubles. An attempt which is virtually guaranteed to fail, given that the Oni are well aware of the vulnerability of their plants and will certainly take pains to protect them."

"So what will you do about it?"  
"Shoot the lot of them." Feng sighed. "I know; that would just put a different set of fools in charge. We will have to do what we can to interfere without showing our hand."  
"That sounds … dangerous."  
"Of course. If you wanted safety you chose the wrong line of work."  
"And if we are discovered?"  
"You know the answer to that. We will certainly be dismissed, probably imprisoned, possibly even executed. Does it matter? When weighed against the consequences of their folly?"  
His confederate nodded. "You are right, of course. We cannot sit and watch them destroy our relations with the Oni; we must act."

"Ah, Miss Yukio. Welcome back."  
"Thank you, Victor."  
"Tea?"  
"Yes, please."

When they were settled he leaned back and studied her. "You have bad news for me."  
She sighed. "Not so much for you as for the Oni. Not only are my associates going to attempt to sabotage the refinery, but the idiots in charge of Jin Wei are as well. They will attempt to make it look as if we are responsible, but that is unlikely to succeed, given how clumsy they are."

"Hmm. If they attempt sabotage, and the Oni discover the truth, that will be the end of any trade agreement. I doubt the Oni would attack them, but they might reciprocate. In any case it would be a supreme folly on their part. They would give up the trade agreement, and all the benefits which flow from it, just to make you look bad. Idiots, indeed."

"Have the Oni taken the proper security measures?"  
"Of course. They are, to use your phrase, ready and waiting. Any attempt would be extremely unlikely to succeed, and virtually guaranteed to be detected."

Victor looked at her thoughtfully. "I have a suggestion."  
"Go ahead."  
"You will attempt to learn the identities of the prospective saboteurs, of course. If they could be quietly dealt with …"  
"Difficult to arrange … but you will help with that, correct?"

He smiled at her. "If you provide the necessary funds and information, yes."  
She looked quizzically at him. "Why would you do this? Your business is information, not direct action."  
"Because open conflict would be detrimental to my business as well. My line of work is risky enough without a war going on."

She nodded. "I see. Yes, of course. I will get you both funds and information."  
Victor smiled. "And I will contact my associates and arrange for … direct action, as you put it."  
"Excellent." She got up and put her coat on. "Thank you for the tea, Victor. I must get back to work; there is much to do."  
"Good night, Miss Yukio. Until our next meeting."

Feng Chi nodded. "Good. I will get what information I can on the unfortunates who have been tasked with carrying out this misbegotten plan. If they can be quietly eliminated we will all breathe easier for it."  
She smiled. "And I will do the same. However, we must have a contingency plan in place should the primary attempt fail."  
"Indeed. Since we would wish to observe anyway we may as well carry that out ourselves. Therefore we should be prepared to act should it be required."  
"Agreed."

"So how many are there?"  
"Six. Two women, four men. They will be in the town three days from now."  
"And the other group?"  
"Five, all men. They are traveling on the western road; it may be possible to waylay them in one of the villages just over the border."

Victor paused. "The timing will be difficult, but I think it can be done. My associates are ready. You have the necessary funds?  
"Here." She handed him a satchel.  
"Excellent. I will pass this along. Now, success is not guaranteed; you have a contingency plan in place should matters not proceed as planned?"

"Yes. My confederates and I will observe the attempts; should matters not proceed according to plan we will take corrective action ourselves."  
"Good. I will inform the Oni of our plans; it may be that they would wish to send their own operatives and it would be well if these did not target my associates or you by mistake."  
"Please do. This will be dangerous enough as is, without Oni agents shooting at us as well. Well, it is time. Wish us luck."  
"Indeed. May fortune smile on you and yours, Miss Yukio."

"You will follow the Japanese team. Should any escape the initial attack you will deal will them. We will do the same with the Jin Wei team. Meet us at the rendezvous afterward; if you do not show at the agreed time we will assume the worst and act accordingly. You are to do the same."  
"Understood. Good luck to you, Satori."  
"And to you, Feng Chi."

Yukio watched from the house across the street. The Jin Wei team was staying at the inn, as planned. Good; Victor's associates would have no trouble finding them. "Any sign of activity?" "None. Quiet as a tomb." She scowled at him; an unfortunate turn of phrase.  
"Sorry; seemed appropriate, though." "Hmph. Just let me know if you see or hear anything unusual."

"Miss." She was instantly awake. "More guests for the inn; a party of four. Ghouls, unless I am going blind." "Armed?" "Not visibly; but in those clothes they could be hiding a small armory." "Let's get into position, just in case."

They had no sooner taken their places than all hell broke loose. Gunshots and screams echoed throughout the inn; no telling who was shooting at what. Then footsteps pounding down the stairs; the back door burst open and three men came running out. Her companion was right in their path; a flurry of gunfire and two of them went down along with him. "Damn." She ran after the last one, who suddenly turned to face her. They fired as one.

Feng Chi waited at the rendezvous. Unfortunately his partner had fallen victim to the Japanese. Hopefully she would be here soon; if not … well, he would deal with that when it happened.  
"Good evening, Feng Chi." He jumped at least a meter.  
"Did you have to do that? You scared the life out of me! If I had my gun in hand I would have shot you!"  
She smiled wearily. "That would be one more person tonight." He caught her as she fell.  
"Satori!" Blood. He shone his flashlight on her. "Damn."

"Will she make it?"  
"Yes. It will be some time before she is fully healed, though."  
"Is she awake?"  
"Oh, yes. Keep it short, she needs her rest."  
"I will. Thank you, doctor."  
"You're welcome."

He looked at her. "Good evening, Satori."  
She smiled. "Call me Yukio."  
"All right, Yukio. You will be happy to know that none of the saboteurs escaped. A couple of Victor's people survived as well, if somewhat the worse for wear."  
She looked at him. "How do you know about Victor?"  
"They told me, of course. I plan to make his acquaintance someday."

He sighed. "That will have to wait, I'm afraid. Our governments are, to put it mildly, annoyed at us. At present we are in a small community in Oni territory. I believe it would be inadvisable for us to return to Jin Wei, or to attempt to enter Manchuria."  
"And the Oni?"  
"Are allowing us to stay, as long as we keep out of sight. Their agents cleaned up the mess we left; they have also warned our governments against any further attempts. So we are unlikely to have to repeat our performance."

"So we are now unemployed."  
"For the moment. It is possible we may find work with the Oni, or perhaps Victor. If not, well, we will deal with that when the time comes."  
"Just so. Now I need to get some sleep." Feng smiled and got to his feet. "Feng."  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you. For saving me."  
"My pleasure. Rest now." He left the room.


	5. Chapter 5 Too Much of a Good Thing

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

"You know we will have to do it."  
"Probably, but I do not want to be hasty. We will need that water when summer comes."  
"I know. I'm not suggesting destroying the whole thing; just creating a channel, so the runoff has somewhere to go."  
The chief engineer looked at Jang and sighed. "Draw up your plans, by all means. If it becomes necessary we must be ready." Jang nodded and left.

Hang walked out to the edge of the river, as he did every day. The water level was a bit higher than normal for this time of year, but not excessively so. That was not what bothered him. The snow was deep, at least a meter; in some places as much as three. That much snow, when it melted …

He remembered, from his youth, when the rains came and the river rose, flooding the valley. So many were lost; so much was destroyed. And the snow had been deep the winter before, as well. It could happen again.

"So how deep is it now?"  
"Two meters. And it's only January; if it keeps going at this rate we'll get another two meters by March. And when it melts …"  
"I know. Four meters of snow means forty centimeters of water. Which would raise the level behind the dam by nearly ten meters. And it's six meters from the top now."  
"If it overtops the dam, the whole thing could go."

"I know. That's why I want to put in the sluice gate. The water will get out anyway; better to let it out gradually, rather than all at once."  
"That's for sure. How long will it take to build?"  
Jang bent over the plans. "At least two months."  
"We don't have two months. By the time it's finished the water will be over the dam anyway."

"And you suggest?"  
Gun sighed. "Open the existing sluices now. That will lower the level behind the dam by a meter or so, which might buy you enough time."  
"We couldn't build the new one then. Not with the sluices running. We need that area dry for the foundation to set properly."  
"I know. But we need something, and we need it now."

"Father, why are you so worried?" No hiding anything from her; she knew him too well.  
"The snow is deep, and more will fall. As in the year before the flood."  
She gazed at him with concern. "And you fear that the spring will be warm, and the rains heavy, and the dam will not hold."  
"That is not likely, but, yes, I do fear that the worst could come to pass."

"Then go and speak to those at the dam. See if they are aware of the danger, and what they will do should it come to pass."  
"I … yes, you are right. As always. I will go and speak to them tomorrow. Not for us alone, but for the others who live here as well. All are at risk, should matters go poorly."  
He rose and kissed her gently. "Time for bed. Tomorrow will be a long day indeed."

"So even opening all the existing sluices will not do it?"  
"Not enough outflow. For a normal season, yes, but this one is far from normal. At peak flow the water will be coming in at more than double that rate." He paused. "And that is without any rainfall, which we're sure to get as well."  
"And we don't have time to build a new sluice gate. Sounds like we'll have to partially demolish the dam; that or risk it collapsing if the level gets too high."  
Jang looked depressed, beaten. "We might. I'll draw up a contingency for that as well."  
Gun paused. "I'll see if I can come up with something. There has to be a way to lower the level without blowing up the dam."  
"Do your best. By the way, there's a local here to talk to us. Seems we're not the only ones aware of the problem. See what he has to say, then tell him what you can without causing a panic."  
Gun looked dubious. "As matters stand, they might well have cause to panic. But, okay, I'll talk to him."

Hang sat across from Gun, teacup in hand. "The snow is as deep as the winter before the flood, and more is coming. If we get rain as well, the water will be deep. Very deep indeed. Perhaps more than your dam can hold."  
Gun nodded. "Unfortunately you are right. We are trying to empty the reservoir as much as possible before the spring melt, but it may not be enough. You and the other farmers should prepare; you may have to leave at short notice."  
"Is there no way in which you can release more water?"  
"Not without damaging the dam itself. If we destroy the dam there may be no water left for your crops in the summer; that would not be a good thing."  
"Water for the crops would be a good thing, true; but there can be too much of a good thing." Hang poured himself some more tea.

Gun was about to speak. He stopped, reached out, and picked up the teapot. He stared at it. "Of course."  
"Pardon me?"  
"Hang Sun, thank you for coming here. I believe you have just shown me the answer to the problem. You may tell the others that we are aware of the problem and may have a solution for it. I will see that you are kept informed of our progress, but for now I must return to my duties. If you will please excuse me?" Hang nodded; Gun got up and left, taking the teapot with him.

A thoroughly mystified Hang Sun wended his way home.

"So we knock down part of the dam, build a sort of giant spout onto it, and hope that lets enough water out?"  
"Essentially, yes. The spout is temporary, of course. Just to protect the face of the dam until summer."  
"Let's see your calculations."

Jang shook his head. "If your calculations are correct, it should work. But it's the craziest looking thing I've ever seen."  
Gun grinned at him. "Crazy? Maybe; but unless you have a better idea …"  
"Well, now to sell it to the chief. And yes, you're coming with me. No way I'm doing this alone. It's your idea; you can take the credit. Or the blame."  
"Agreed. Might as well be now."

"This is what you come up with?" The chief engineer looked at them steadily.  
"Yes sir. The structure is strictly temporary, of course. The idea being to protect the face of the dam until the level drops enough to permit construction of a permanent gate."  
"And these calculations are correct?"  
"Yes sir."  
The chief looked everything over once more. "You're certain we need to do this?"

"Yes sir. If we don't, and the level rises as much as we predict, it will overtop the dam and …"  
"I get the picture." He took a deep breath. "Do it."  
"Yes sir. We'll start tomorrow morning; it should be finished within two weeks."  
"Good. You had better be right."

They finished it in thirteen days. A U-shaped hole in the top center of the dam, finished smoothly. On the inside of the dam a rounded rim around it; on the outside an enormous spout, roughly twelve feet long. The whole thing gave the appearance of an enormous teapot, ready to pour.

Over the remainder of the winter they actually got close to three meters of snow; fortunately they had a warm spell in the middle which melted half of that. By April the water rose to within half a meter of the top of the dam, but that was as high as it got.

Gun's spout performed perfectly. By June half of it had broken off and the remainder was badly eroded, but it had been temporary to begin with. That fall it was replaced with a proper sluice gate and channel.

Gun and Jang went on to modify other dams in more conventional fashion, installing sluice gates and other relief measures. A reservoir full of water is a good thing, but, as Hang said, one can have too much of a good thing.


	6. Chapter 6 Time Heals

TIME HEALS

Yevgeni looked over the research assistant's work. Good stuff, but in need of a little more organization. Not unlike his own, back when … well, better not to go there. "Ilya, a moment if you please?"  
Ilya came into the office and shut the door behind him. "Yes sir?"  
"Have a seat." Ilya reluctantly sat. "I've been reading over your report. Good, but it needs a little more work to be complete."  
"What exactly is lacking, sir?"  
"You have thoroughly covered the adult life of the animal, but there isn't much on its adolescence. And the material could be a little better organized. Overall, though, well done."  
"Thank you, sir. I'll see if I can fix it up." He started to get out of his chair.

"One more thing."  
"Sir?"  
"Sit down, relax, and stop calling me sir. My name is Yevgeni Kerensky; if you can't bring yourself to call me Yevgeni then call me Mr. Kerensky. No more sir."  
"Yes … Mr. Kerensky."  
"Better. Back to work."

He sat back in his chair, enjoying the beer. One good thing about this job; no travel. He had enough of that to last him for a long time. The crowd was friendly and nobody bothered him. Well, time to go. He tossed back the last of it, laid his money on the table, and turned to go.  
There she was again, the same smile on her face. Talking to her friends as usual; well, none of his business. He put on his hat and coat and walked outside. The night air was crisp and cool; autumn coming. He paused a moment to take a few breaths.

She stepped out with her friends, chatting away. "Good night, Katya. See you tomorrow." "Right." Her friends trotted off. She turned and smiled at him, then trotted off after them.  
"Yevgeni, you're a coward. A complete, total, universal coward." He shook his head, then turned toward his own home.

"Has to be pheromones. There's no other explanation for it."  
"Prove it, Nestor. Show me some actual physical evidence, like scent glands or pheromone receptors."  
"You're kidding, right? You want me to go out and hunt them?"  
"If that's what it takes to get the evidence you need, yes. Without evidence all you have is theory. You don't actually know. Get the facts."

Yevgeni leaned back in his chair. "Nestor, I don't mean you should get yourself killed doing something stupid. Bring your best weapons, make sure you know how to use them properly, and don't go alone. At least three others, similarly equipped and skilled. Bring plenty of supplies, extra ammo, and extra medical equipment."  
"You make it sound like combat."  
"It is like combat. Deathclaws are incredibly dangerous. Take it from one who knows."

Nestor looked at him. "Yet you want me to hunt them."  
Yevgeni grinned. "You thought research was sitting at a table staring through a microscope? Not always. Sometimes it can get … interesting."  
"So I've heard."  
"Let me know when you're ready to start. If you need help with your little expedition I can get you what you need."  
"Thanks. I'm sure I'll need it."  
"Okay, back to work."

He was standing at the bar, getting his beer. "And for the lady?"  
"?" There she was, standing next to him. Her friends were down at the other end of the bar, busily chatting away. "Ah … certainly. Whatever she wants."  
She smiled. "She wants a beer, same as him."  
The bartender smiled. "Of course." He retrieved two glasses and began to pour.

"I'm sorry; I didn't get your name."  
"Katya Chekova. And you are Yevgeni Kerensky. You are well known in the area."  
"Apparently so. What brings you here, other than the excellent beer?"  
"I like the place, as do my friends. It's quiet, relaxed; just what I need after a day at the office."

"Indeed. Precisely why I come here."  
She raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't think being a professor would be that stressful."  
"You don't deal with ten dozen adolescents every day."  
"True. I just get to sort out the problems of an entire town instead."  
He nodded. "Stress comes in many forms." He took another swallow of beer. "As do methods of dealing with it."  
"Of course. You choose quiet and alcohol. I choose low key socializing and alcohol."

He smiled. "I'm not totally antisocial, you know. It's just that after dealing with others all day long I like a little time to myself."  
"Understandable. But no one would describe you as outgoing."  
"Definitely not. I like my privacy."  
"And so do I, if not to the same extent as you."

He shrugged. "I have my reasons."  
"So I've heard."  
"Then you've also heard I do not discuss it." Ice in his voice.  
"Yes. Although it might be better if you did. There are those who say you were at fault …"  
"They can go to hell. I do not have to answer to them, or to you either for that matter. It is my choice to make, and mine alone." No ice now; fire instead. He drank the rest of his beer, threw the money on the bar, and strode out without another word. She shook her head, turned, and walked back to her friends.

"Nestor."  
"Yes, Professor?"  
"How's your expedition coming along?"  
"We're leaving tomorrow. Shouldn't take more than a week."  
"Good. Got your list?"  
"Here." He handed it over; Yevgeni glanced through it.

"Looks good. You hired a guide?"  
"Not yet. We were planning on that once we got there."  
"Thought so. Here, take this. Show it to the hetman and mention my name; that should help."  
"Thank you, sir."  
"You're welcome. Good luck to you."

He sat behind his desk, turning a pencil in his hands. Why did they always have to bring it up? Always! He didn't want to talk about it; what was so difficult about that? What was it about Oni psychology that made them so damned curious?  
All right, that was unfair. Humans were equally curious; just more sensible. Or just afraid to annoy someone with twice their strength. He smiled wryly at that, and set the pencil down. Face it, Yevgeni. People are going to ask about it; they can't help being curious, any more than they could stop breathing. And he would just have to learn to deal with it in a civil manner.

Which meant … right. He got up, put on his hat and coat, and left the office.

"Good evening, Katya. May I speak to you for a moment?" She turned and looked at him. "Please?" She nodded, then followed him over to a table in the corner.  
"First, my apologies for my rudeness. I had no right to talk to you that way, even if you were … touching a nerve." She looked evenly at him.  
"Hmph. You didn't have to bite my head off for making a simple suggestion."  
"Katya, it may seem simple to you, but that is a very sensitive subject to me. Please do not ask me to discuss it. Not now, not ever." She did not look mollified.

He paused and studied her. She gazed at him and took a deep breath. "Very well. Seeing that it was my fault in the first place for bringing it up. I should have known better. I accept your apology. On one condition."  
He was instantly on guard. "What condition?"  
She held out her empty glass. "Get me another beer."  
He relaxed and smiled. "Of course."

They passed the evening in pleasant conversation. When it came time to go he walked her outside. They stood for a moment, enjoying the cool night air. "Yevgeni, may I tell you something? Something I am absolutely sure of? Without you biting my head off again?"  
He sighed, expecting the worst. "Go ahead."  
"I meant what I said before, that it would do you good to talk about it. Keeping it bottled up inside you is not healthy; that is how people become mentally ill." He looked annoyed.  
"I do not mean that you necessarily will go insane, nor that you have to tell me the whole story this moment. But, when you are ready, I will be there to listen."

He stood there quietly. She reached up and kissed him, then withdrew. "Good night, Yevgeni." She turned and walked into the night.

He held the message in his hand. Damn. One of his students, killed while hunting in Mongolia. It had to be Nestor; none of the others was out there. And it was his fault; his idea. He had sent him to his death. He buried his head in his hands.

One look at his face told her. "Yevgeni, what's wrong?" He said nothing, just looked at her. She led him away to a quiet corner. "Yevgeni, please. I know something has happened. It is written on your face as clearly as a road sign. Please tell me."  
"I … I cannot … not here." He got up and walked out; she hurriedly grabbed their things and ran out after him.

He finally stopped. She came up to him; his face was wet with tears. He sat down on a nearby rock, reached into a pocket and handed her the message. She took a moment to read it, then sat down beside him and took his hand.  
"I … I sent him … my idea … my fault." She said nothing. "Just like before. My fault."  
He sobbed.; she sat quietly, holding his hand. Finally he grasped it, nodded, and began.

He told her the entire story, beginning to end, omitting nothing. How he and his companions had found the lab, been caught in the trap, and escaped, only for the others to be slain when almost to safety. How he had been the only one to survive. And now, how the student he had sent out had been slain in the same manner.

"Better if I had been killed as well; then Nestor would still be alive." He glanced at the message, then stuffed it back in his pocket. "All are dead, because of me."

She squeezed his hand. "Yevgeni, you are too harsh on yourself. In what way did your actions harm your comrades? Did you summon the creature? Did you direct it to attack them?" She paused. "You did not."  
"If I had acted differently, made different choices …"  
"You do not know that. You made the best choices you could with the information available to you, and acted as you thought best. Would other actions have produced a better outcome? Probably not. Even if they would, you could not have known that; no one can see the future."  
"When you were attacked, did you stand idly by? Run away? No. You did your best to defend them. That they were killed and you survived is mere chance; you could easily have been killed as well. You are in no way responsible for their deaths."

"As for the student, he knew the risks. He prepared as best he could to face them. You yourself said it; sometimes the pursuit of knowledge involves risk of personal injury. Courage is required as much as intelligence. That he did not survive is no reflection on him, or you. And your claim that your death would have prevented his is nonsense; he might still have died, in that manner or some other."

"Come; we should go back, before we catch our death of cold." She held out his coat.

He nodded, then reached out and took it. After a deep breath he rose to his feet, put it on, and took her hand. They walked back to the tavern.

A second message. Nestor, it seems, was still very much alive, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. He had merely been separated from the others for a time, and they prematurely assumed the worst. Even better, he had acquired the necessary specimens to complete his research.  
Yevgeni shook his head; amazing how matters worked out. A simple error had caused him to nearly fall apart; he himself had assumed the worst, without checking his facts. Some scientist he was! He smiled at that.

As for Katya, he had told her the truth, and felt the better for it. She had been right, of course; he had kept it bottled up all this time. All the grief, all the guilt; all gone in that one retelling. She had kept his confidence, telling no one, even though he had not asked her to. Now he could discuss it with her, and tell others as well. He was free.

Almost. There was one last duty to perform.

They stood before the graves. The deathclaw skull still stood on the pole behind them; she looked at it and shivered. "That is the one?"  
"Yes. The tribesmen thought it a fitting monument. At the time I was not so sure; now I believe them to be right."  
"I had not thought they grew so big. How did you bring it down?"  
"Four of us fired on it; I finished it off with my pistol."  
"A wonder that you survived."  
"Perhaps. But survive I did. And, with your help, recovered."

"More the passage of time than my efforts. But I am sure they would be pleased with the outcome."  
"Indeed. If Nestor's theory proves correct, we may have a way to repel them. Which was our original purpose in going there."

He gave a final salute, then took her hand and walked back toward the yurt. Temu's son waited there, rifle in hand; in time he would be as good a guide as his father. Yevgeni had told him and his mother the story as well; his father's actions were something to be proud of, to tell his own children in time.

As for him, he would always have the memories; those would never go away. But she was right; time heals.


	7. Chapter 7 Memories

MEMORIES

"More recruits, Sergeant."  
"Good. We can use a couple more in our outfit. Usual makeup?"  
"Yes. One or two good ones, one or two bad ones, the rest indifferent. Nothing we haven't seen before."  
"Right. Well, let me get started." He saluted; the captain returned it. "All right. Fall in! Attention!" The Captain smiled. That always brought back the memories …

Private Oleg Panov wearily gazed at the opposite bank of the river. It had been five days now and still no change. Were they going to advance or not? Or just sit here while the slant eyes shot them to pieces? Already three of his squad mates had been killed; how long before his number came up?

The other three were back at their position; the squad weapon was acting up again and they were trying to fix it, for the tenth time. Or was it the eleventh? He had lost track, to be truthful. No matter; soon his turn at sentry would be over and he could get a bite to eat and some sleep.

He sat up and stared at the far bank again. Movement; there; yes, they were moving again. He eased back into the shadows and brought out his binoculars. Useful, but reflected sunlight was a dead giveaway. Several of his comrades had found that out the hard way.

He focused on the area of interest.

Yes; seven, eight at least. And they had dragged a large object up into the hollow behind the ruined building they were holed up in. What the hell could that be? Not a support weapon; they would never bring it that far forward. Oh. Of course. He scanned the rest of the bank. Now that he knew what to look for …

"Sergeant."  
"Yes, Oleg?"  
"The slants are planning to cross the river. They've brought up small boats; at least half a dozen that I can see."  
"Those hold four apiece, so two dozen or so. Probably as many more that we can't see. Call it fifty. Be tough to hold that many off by ourselves."  
"Especially if they have artillery or mortar support. We staying put?"  
"For the moment. If the lieutenant can whistle up some help we can hold them off. If not we'll have to pull back. Go back and keep an eye on them. I'll let you know what's up in a minute."

He got back just in time. Suddenly a flare burst overhead, lighting up the river. At least a dozen boatloads of Japanese soldiers charged out of the shadows, piled into boats, and started rowing across. Explosions on both banks; gunfire from both sides of the river. He could hear, from either side, the same thing happening up and down the river. Not just a raid, then.

"Oleg! Sarge says fall back!"  
"Right; be right there." Oleg started crawling back toward them, just as a Japanese machine gunner found the range. Bullets spattered all around him; one hit the back of his helmet, knocking it off. He dropped down into a hole, found it, and slapped it back on.

Damn. He couldn't leave that hole. Every time he tried some wise guy put a few past his head; if he exposed himself he would certainly get one in the ear. Have to stay put. Then he heard a couple of slants crawling toward him.

He waited until they were in another hole a few meters away, then lobbed a grenade into it. Unfortunately they had the same idea. He piled out of his hole and ran for a nearby building as the grenades went off, raising a huge cloud of dust.

He almost made it; a couple of steps away something hit him in the back of his right leg, throwing him off balance. He careened into the side of the building, then fell heavily through the doorway into the front room. The floor gave way under the impact and dropped him headfirst into the cellar. A flash of pain and everything went dark.

He had no idea how long he was out. It was still dark in the cellar; must still be night, then. He could hear the Japanese moving around outside; sounded like they were establishing some sort of forward post here. He wasn't about to interfere, not by himself. Especially not with a bullet in his leg and no rifle.

He debated with himself for a moment, then switched on his flashlight, swept it once around the cellar, and switched it off. If the slants saw it, well, he'd just have to fight or run as best he could. But stumbling around in the dark would give him away just as surely.

He felt around until his hand closed on his rifle. He checked it; still in working order. One problem solved. He felt the back of his leg; not bleeding, although he could feel the bullet up against his femur. Hmm. Deal with that later.

Now to find the stairs. He felt around for several minutes before running across them, then carefully eased upward. No telling how strong they were; if they gave way he'd land back in the cellar, and the noise would bring every Jap within a mile.

He made it up the stairs without drawing attention to himself. Moonlight through the windows; still night. Time for a look around.

A dressing station. Several orderlies and a couple of doctors were tending dozens of wounded Japanese soldiers. Every few minutes another would arrive, on a stretcher, or in the arms or on the back of a comrade. Most bore their wounds stoically; a few moaned or screamed if the pain was beyond their ability to bear. The doctors and orderlies were constantly in motion, probing, extracting, sawing, sewing, bandaging, splinting. As the wounded were treated they were carried inside a makeshift shelter, while the next were attended to.

Oleg took it in, then quietly withdrew. A command or supply post he might have interfered with, but not this. Clearly these men were no threat to him, or anyone else. He turned to leave.

A Japanese soldier, pointing his rifle at him with one hand, and supporting a wounded comrade with the other. Oleg lowered his own rifle, then slung it. He stepped over to the wounded soldier, picked him up and carried him to one of the doctors. The doctor stared at him for a moment, then began to examine the soldier while Oleg watched. A moment later he winced and looked behind him as an orderly probed his own wound.

An hour later he stood beside the first soldier. They nodded to each other, then he turned and began to walk toward his own lines. A tap on the shoulder; he looked back. The Japanese soldier pointed off to his right. Oleg nodded and set off in that direction.

His service was long and successful. But of all his experiences, that was the one he had never forgotten. That night, standing beside an enemy, sharing concern for another. He smiled and went back to the recruits.

NOTE: Slant, slant eyes, Jap: Anyone of Japanese descent. Japanese have eyes which are slightly tilted downward at the nose. Usually this is barely noticeable, but it can be pronounced in some. Oni, being of Russian descent, have eyes which are horizontally aligned. Chinese have eyes which are slightly tilted upward at the nose. Again, this is usually barely noticeable, but can be pronounced in some areas.


	8. Chapter 8 The Hunters

THE HUNTERS

Tso Shi looked longingly at the passing caravan. What must it be like to travel from place to place, always seeing new things, meeting new people? Fascinating, exciting. At least to a teenage girl who had never been more than ten kilometers from home.

Her father would not even take her to the city, to the market, even though it was only five kilometers away. "No place for a young girl." And what of the young girls who lived there? Why was it a place for them and not for her?

Her mother might possibly have explained it, but she had died giving birth to Tso Shi; her father refused to discuss it. One of her aunts explained it to her one evening while visiting. "Your mother was beautiful and kind, and your father loved her very much. He has never recovered from her loss. He protects you because he loves you; you remind him of her, and he does not want to lose you as well."

That was the only thing stopping her, actually. The thought of her father, looking at her empty cot with tears in his eyes. She shook her head and went back to work.

The men stopped to talk to her father. Two of them, rough looking. They asked directions to the city; her father told them, pointing down the road toward it. They thanked him, nodded to her, then walked off. Interesting; not like the locals. Mysterious.

"Who were they?"  
"Travelers, looking for the city."  
"Not merchants; they had no wares."  
"True; probably laborers, looking for work." He smiled at her. "Time to get back to ours."

"Yes, father."

She woke with a start; a hand pressed over her mouth. A shot; then something struck her on the head and she remembered no more.

She awoke again. Bouncing up and down; she was being carried over the shoulder of another. Her hands and feet were bound, her mouth stuffed with cloth, a sack pulled over her head. How long she was unconscious, who was carrying her, where they were; all unknown. Her captor did not speak or vary his pace.

Eventually they stopped . "How many?"  
"She makes six. That should be enough, right?"  
"Definitely. Bring her to the warehouse. We'll leave tomorrow night; the delivery is four days from now, and I don't want to be late."  
"Sounds good." Her captor tossed her back over his shoulder and resumed his pace.

A door opened on one side of her. Her captor walked forward, then the door shut again. He dumped her on the floor, then strode off. A new voice. "Good. Another female; that will make them happy."  
The voice moved closer. "Tell me, little one; are you a virgin?" She froze; this couldn't be happening. "Let's find out." Hands began removing her clothing, exposing her body. She tried to resist, to plead, to scream; her bonds prevented movement; the cloth in her mouth reduced her cries to pitiful moans and squeaks.

To her horror, he probed her. "So, still a virgin. We'll fix that." No, please, no …  
Her protests and struggles were useless; he forced himself on her.  
Eventually he finished, leaving her sobbing on the floor. He adjusted her clothing, restoring it to its original position. Then he walked off, leaving her despairing form lying on the floor of the warehouse.

"Time to go." She was picked up and carried out of the building, then tossed onto the back of a pack animal and secured. Another bouncing ride.

After a few hours they stopped. She was hauled off and dumped on the ground, then her bonds were cut. Her hands were manacled in front of her; she pulled off the sack and spit out the cloth.  
A dozen more like her, two thirds male, one third female, all teenagers. Their wrists were all manacled; a single chain connected them all in a long line. Their captors fed them; gruel, dry bread, and water. She ate rapidly; it had been nearly two days since she last ate.  
They were jerked to their feet and led off. Four guards; one leading, one each to left, right, and behind. They were headed north, as far as she could tell. A quick look around; plains, woods, no buildings.

"Where are they taking us?"  
"North, to the mines."  
"And when we get there?"  
"The boys will be worked to death. The girls will serve in a different manner."  
"You mean …"  
"Yes. And if you refuse, you join the boys in the mines. And might wind up having to do it anyway, seeing as the boys don't get a chance otherwise."

She straightened as a whip lashed her back. "Keep moving! We have a schedule to meet."  
Another stroke sent her trotting after the others.

Eventually they stopped for the night. She and her fellow captives dropped to the ground, exhausted; none of them were used to marching all day, especially not without food or water. Their captors did feed them again; dried vegetables and water this time.

After that they were given thin blankets. They rolled up in them and went to sleep on the ground without ceremony. Tso Shi had never been so miserable; cold, alone, helpless, hopeless. Eventually exhaustion took hold and she drifted off to sleep.

A kick in the ribs woke her. The guard tossed her a waterskin and a chunk of bread. "Hurry up and eat. We have a long way to go today." She ate and drank quickly.

"On your feet. Come on!" She winced as the whip lashed her thigh, then stumbled into line with the blanket wrapped around her. Off they went.

The terrain was getting rougher now. More woods and hills, less plains. They were following a stream which led roughly north. At noon they crossed the stream which marked the border; they were in Siberia now. The guards did not slacken their pace, but used their whips liberally to keep their captives moving. By sundown they were exhausted again; more gruel, bread, and water, then sleep.

The next day was more of the same. They trudged north through the woods away from the border, even when it began to rain. The guards used the whip liberally now, as their captives' strength waned. Even so, they were behind schedule when they camped for the night.

The guards awakened them before dawn; more lashes got them moving again. Cold rain all day, trudging along muddy paths, exhausted, with the whips striking every time they slowed; unending misery. At sunset the mining settlement came into view.

"About time you got here. What have you got this time?"  
"Thirteen; five females, eight males."  
"Hmm." The overseer looked them over. "Scrawny. They won't last a week."  
"Maybe if you actually fed them they would."  
"Shut up. Inferior product; half price."  
"Full price or we take them elsewhere."  
"Hmph. Take them then."  
"Fine." He signaled to the other guards, who began to haul the captives away.

"All right, all right. Full price. The boss will skin me if I don't keep up production. Bring them in."  
"No. Payment first, then we deliver."  
The overseer signaled to another, who tossed a sack of coin to their captor. He nodded to the others, who herded the captives into the enclosure. Other guards approached; two had enormous dogs on leashes.  
Their captors removed the manacles and left, marching away into the forest. The overseer's guards herded them toward a building. "Strip. Hurry up; everything. Now." Their whips encouraged the few who were overly modest or reluctant. Once inside they were doused with cold water and scrubbed with brushes by fellow slaves.

Fresh clothes awaited them outside; their own would be issued to others in time. Then they were brought over to a forge. Two guards held each of them in turn while a third branded them on the side of the neck with the owner's mark. The screams and moans of the others were almost as bad as the searing pain of the branding.

Another slave applied a salve, then they were led into a barracks and assigned a bunk. Wood, with a straw mat and two thin blankets. The girls were in one barracks, the boys in two others. All were surrounded by tall barbed wire fences, with the dogs patrolling outside.

Each day was the same. Awakened at dawn; bread and water. Then cleaning, laundry, cooking, and minor chores until noon. Soup, bread, and tea; then servicing the guards and other camp personnel, including those slaves who had distinguished themselves in some way. Any who did not perform as required were locked in the guards' barracks for the night; few repeated the offense. At night, another shower and bed.

At first Tso Shi thought she would go insane or kill herself; only the thought of her father and other kin searching for her kept her from harming herself. In time she learned to turn off her feelings, to go through the motions and make the proper responses at the proper times. In truth it became routine; the same males, responding in the same ways each time.

The oldest girl was, by default, in charge. She kept the others going as best she could, by coaching and counseling. Without her half of them would have been dead by now; even so, every few weeks, one would turn up dead. Better than the boys, who died at the rate of one every day, but still horrible. How long before her body was tossed in the ditch?

"Tso Chi!"  
"Yes sir?"  
"Overseer wants you in his quarters, one hour from now. Don't be late, unless you want to be whipped bloody."  
"Yes sir. I have time for a shower?"  
"Yes; get some clean clothes and something to eat while you're at it."  
"Yes sir."

She dreaded these sessions; the overseer was a pig, in all ways. Perpetually annoyed at something or other, and he always took it out on her, or one of the other girls. If he was drunk enough, though, it wasn't too bad.

Tonight was one of the bad ones. He was mad about something, and determined to take it out on her. Eventually he knocked her down, straddled her, and began to choke her. She tried to pry his hands off, but he was too strong. She couldn't breathe. Her hand brushed something; a knife.

He suddenly straightened up, blood pouring out of his neck. She pulled it out and stabbed him again and again. His grip loosened; she gasped for breath. He relaxed and collapsed on top of her. She rolled out from under him and got to her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

Her heart was racing, just like her mind. When the other guards found him, as they eventually would, she would die horribly. She had to escape somehow. But how? And how long did she have?

First, she stripped off the bloody clothes and washed herself off. Then she went through his closet. His clothes were several sizes too large, but they would have to do. A pistol; she stuck it into her belt. She washed off the knife, found the scabbard, and stuck that into her belt as well. The keys; she took those as well.

Now for the hard part. Dressed as she was, could she fool the guards? Not if they were alert, but she had reason to believe they would not be. Most of the time the gate guards were lolling about, drinking vodka, smoking their mahorka, or snoozing. After all, when was the last time one of the workers tried to escape?

Tonight she was in luck. Only one guard, and he was asleep. She walked up to the gate, hunted till she found the right key, unlocked it, opened it, walked out, and closed and locked it behind her. She was out.

But not free. No sooner had she locked the gate than she was staring into the eyes of the guard; she immediately turned and ran up the road while he shouted after her. Nothing for it now; she had to get away before they got organized and started after her. She picked up her pace, running full speed away from the settlement.

Tso Shi leaned against a tree, panting for breath. She was never the athlete, and months as a slave had not improved matters. She was several kilometers away now, but she knew they would follow her. Especially after they found his body. But she had to rest.

Suddenly she straightened. Movement, from the direction of the settlement. A dog barked. Damn. She began to run again, further into the woods.

A man stepped out from behind a tree right into her path; she screamed and nearly fell. He grabbed her arm and pushed her into the bushes. "Stay there and shut up." She lay there, gasping, wide eyed. He disappeared from sight.

She could hear them approaching; several men, and at least one dog, following her trail. In a couple of minutes they would be on top of her. She pulled out the pistol.

Shots; shouts. The barking stopped. The man reappeared. "On your feet." She got to her feet. "That way. Move." He pointed down the trail. She set off down the trail as he followed.

A camp. Another man, cleaning his knife. "Time to go?"  
"Yes. We ready?"  
"Just waiting for you."  
"Let's go."

They shouldered packs, kicked out the fire, and set off into the woods. One led, then Tso Shi, then the other. They set a good pace; soon she was stumbling with exhaustion. They did not slacken their pace. "Keep up or we leave you for them." She kept up.

They detoured to follow a stream for a couple of klicks. When they left the stream they brushed out their tracks. A couple of klicks later they stopped. In a few minutes two more appeared; one man and one woman. All four carried rifles and knives; their clothes and equipment were worn but well cared for. "Another one, huh?"

"Yeah. Damn near ran over me. Fool almost led them straight to us."  
"Relax. You were no different, remember?"  
"I was smart enough to hide my tracks, at least."  
"Enough. You have a name, little one?"

"Tso Shi. Who are you people?"  
"We're hunters. And you're an escaped slave. Don't bother to deny it; that brand on your neck tells us everything we need to know. I wonder how much they'd pay to get you back?"  
Tso Shi shrank from her. "Relax. We won't sell you. But you have a lot to learn if you want to survive out here."  
"Please take me with you."

The woman nodded approvingly. "First lesson learned. Nobody can go it alone. Not out here. Only as part of a group can you survive."  
Her rescuer spoke. "If you're going to come with us you'll have to carry your share of the load." He pointed to a small pack. "That's yours, as of this moment. Dong Zhu?"  
"Yes?"  
"Spare her some clothes?"  
"Not for free. What have you got to trade, little one?"

She offered the knife, but the woman pointed at her pistol. With a shrug Tso Chi handed it over. Dong Zhu checked it; loaded, safety on. She stuck it into her belt, then rummaged around in her pack, producing coarse linen shirt and pants, quilted undergarments, a leather belt and shoes, and heavy cotton socks. "Change clothes. Yes, here and now. Put the others in that pack. And hang the knife scabbard on your belt properly."

It took her a couple of minutes. When she was finished they started off again, heading roughly north. A couple of hours later they struck a trail leading west, which they followed to a small settlement in the woods. Half a dozen cabins surrounded a clearing centered on a well. She could see, through gaps in the trees, that there were other clearings, in which men and women tended crops.

Her bunch led her into one of the cabins. Dong Zhu looked at her. "Next lesson. Nothing is free; if you want something you have to pay for it. Not with coin, necessarily; barter is perfectly acceptable. And, yes, your favors can be bartered." She tossed Tso a piece of dried meat. "There's a water bottle in your pack. Make sure you fill it whenever you leave and whenever you come back."

"Now, if you intend to stay here you will be expected to pair up with one of the men. Your choice which one, as long as he isn't already taken. You can take your time about it, get to know them first. Once you do pick one, you'll be expected to stick with him, no bouncing around. He's expected to do the same."

"Time to put you to work." Zhu tossed her a hoe. "Follow me."

At first it was not much different than working in the mines. Gardening, cleaning, laundry, cooking; these she knew well already. But she did not have to sleep with anyone she did not wish to. And the food; what a change. Fresh vegetables, meat, kasha, even tea on occasion. She began to fill out; as her health improved she found the work easier. Life might not be easy here, but it was definitely better.

The bartering was … interesting, to say the least. It seemed that anything and everything had a price. She did occasionally exchange her favors for certain items which she could not obtain otherwise, but generally paid in other services or items. Gradually she accumulated necessary items and a few others as well.

She accompanied the others when they went hunting, as well. She learned to track, stalk, and trap animals. How to tell which ones were which, what they were doing, how old they were, how big they were. How to skin them, dress them, preserve their hides and meat. How and when and where to make camp.

"Good. Very good. But you are not a hunter yet. When you have your own rifle, then you will be a hunter."  
"And how do I get a rifle?"  
"The same way you get everything else."  
"Hmm. The only person who has a spare is …"  
Vasili looked at her. "The price will be very high."  
"I believe I can meet that price."

"So you have come to bargain for my rifle. Can you meet my price?"  
She met his gaze. "That depends on what that price is."  
He smiled. "It is quite simple. I am not yet taken. That is my price."  
"You ask a great deal for a simple rifle."

He grew serious. "I am offering more than just a rifle. If you agree I and all that I have will be yours as well."  
"And the reverse will also be true."  
"Yes."  
"I will consider it."  
"I will wait for your decision."

She shared a mug of tea with Zhu. "He would be a good choice. He is honest and hard working. Not exciting in bed, perhaps, but adequate, or so I'm told."  
"That is not a concern. Would he be kind? Generous? Would he treat me well? Those questions are of greater import."  
"Kind, generous; probably. He is honest and fair in his dealings, and willing to help others in return for future payment. As for how he will treat you, there is only one way to find that out." Zhu smiled at her. "In any case you are young and there is plenty of time. You do not need to rush into this."

"Perhaps. But he will not wait forever. I am not the only female here; if I keep him waiting too long he will be taken by another."  
"From the sound of that you have already decided."  
"After considering your advice, yes."  
Zhu nodded. "The best of luck to you."  
"Thank you."

He smiled at her. "Do you still wish to bargain for my rifle?"  
"Yes."  
"And are you willing to meet my price?" He waited expectantly.  
She let him wait. Then she smiled. "Yes."  
He relaxed and smiled. "Then the rifle is yours, along with everything else I promised." He swept her up in his arms and kissed her; she responded appropriately. "Come inside; it is time you held it in your own hands." He carried her into the cabin.

"Slower this time; wait until the sights are centered on the target, then squeeze gently, so you do not pull it off target." Boom; a little to the left. He reached out and adjusted the sights a tiny amount. "Good; try it again." Boom; dead center. "Excellent. Again." Boom.

They kept at it for a while. She had already learned how to carry it, load it, unload it, and clean it; learning to shoot was the last step. "Good. You'll make a fine hunter. Now let us have some dinner."  
She smiled. "As long as you cook it."  
"What! You trust my cooking?"  
"On second thought, never mind. Better to do extra work than be poisoned."  
"Poisoned! Why, you … you …"  
She laughed, then kissed him. "You could make some tea while it's cooking."  
"Of course."

Late spring; the snow was almost gone. She stood at the edge of the village looking south into the woods; he stood beside her. "You still wish to go?"  
"Yes; I must see that my father is taken care of and that the farm is given to those who will keep it going."  
"Then I will go with you."  
"You do not have to."  
"I did not give up a good rifle and other possessions just to have you walk off and leave me." He smiled. "Have you forgotten everything you learned here? Even the first lesson?"  
"That no one can survive alone; only as part of a group can we survive. No, I have not forgotten. And yes, you will come with me. I would not have it otherwise." She reached out and took his hand, then led him back into the cabin.

They stood at the door. Her brother and his wife were there. "We thought you surely dead. It has been almost two years since they took you. The rest of us pooled our money and bought the farm to keep it in the family; we take turns working it."  
"And Father?"  
"This way."

They led her to the burial plot. "We put him beside your mother, as he would have wished."  
She knelt by the grave. "How did he die?"  
"The ones who took you killed him. It was quick; he did not suffer."  
"Unlike me."  
"Unlike you. I am sorry, Tso Shi."

They withdrew, respecting her silence. Her husband knelt beside her and held her as she cried.

Over dinner they settled matters. "The farm is in good hands, and I have a husband and a home far from here. There are others there who need me as well. We will return."  
Her brother smiled at her. "I would that matters had gone differently, but the fates have decreed otherwise. Nevertheless, we will go on. Good fortune to both of you."  
"And to you and your wife. May you prosper in all that you do."  
"Thank you, Tso Shi. May the fates watch over you."

The next morning they stood by the door. The weather was cool and clear, the ground dry. "Ready?"  
"Yes; let us go." They started off.  
"If we meet slavers on the way?"  
"Then we will be the hunters and they the prey." They walked on toward the town.

NOTE:

Mahorka: Unfiltered cigarettes made from uncured tobacco. A smoker's equivalent of rotgut liquor.

Kasha: Russian cream of wheat. Often incorporates other grains in addition to or in place of wheat.


	9. Chapter 9 Ghost

GHOST

"Uri, come on! We're late as is."  
"I know, I know. Had to get the papers stamped, and the damn clerk was still in bed."  
The captain leaned out. "Cast off!" They retrieved the lines and coiled them as the ship pulled away from the dock.

"So where are we headed this time?"  
"Shientsen, near Shanghai."  
"Good. Maybe we'll get a good price for the stuff this time."  
"Probably. They need lumber, or so I'm told, so that at least will sell."

The day was cloudy, windy, and cold. The "Kazakh" plowed steadily south through two meter waves, the engine roaring steadily away. That was the nice thing about these coal-fired steam turbines; not the most efficient, perhaps, but utterly reliable. At four thousand tons the ship was big enough to shrug off most storms, but not too big to enter the shallow Chinese ports. Like the little girl in the story; not too big, not too small, but just right.

The captain watched through the bridge windows. His cargo of timber, dried fish, and furs should sell well; enough, maybe, to get the ship overhauled and all the leaks patched up. At twenty years old she was beginning to show her age, but still had many years left in her, if he could keep her in good repair.

So far, so good. "I'm going to turn in for a while; the deck is yours, Stefan."  
"Right, Captain. See you in a few hours."

The night was no different than the day; still cloudy, windy, and cold. In a few hours they would be off the northern coast of Hokkaido; they would turn south-southwest, heading for Tsushima. By tomorrow night they should be sailing into port, assuming nothing went wrong.

"Captain."  
"Yes."  
"We're being followed."  
The captain went to the back of the bridge and looked through the binoculars in the direction indicated. Sure enough, there was another ship out there. "Transmissions?"  
"None. Too far off to identify yet. If she gets closer, maybe."

Captain Turgenev scowled. Their new friend was fast, if it could keep up with him. The "Kazakh" was capable of cruising at thirty klicks, as she was now, and could make nearly fifty if he pushed her. The ship following them was pacing them, neither closing nor backing off. No mean feat, in these seas.

He did not like it, not one bit. There had been no reports of pirates in these waters, but that didn't mean one couldn't show up. "We tell Shimonoseki about this?"  
"Not yet. You want to?"  
"Yes. Let's see if there's anybody out here we don't know about."

"Captain, we may have a problem." The pilot, looking at the radar screen.  
"Well?"  
"He doesn't show up on the radar."  
"Is it working right?"  
"Was when we left port. We'll know in a few minutes, when Hokkaido shows up."

The captain's scowl deepened. An unknown ship following them, which didn't show up on radar. Not a merchant, then. Could be a warship, although most of those gave a good return, especially this close. Whatever it was wasn't normal, that was for sure.

"Captain, Shimonoseki acknowledges. They say we show up fine, but there's nobody following us, at least not that they pick up. No other vessels reported in the area, either. They're sending a patrol boat to have a look-see."  
"Good. Maybe they can persuade him to veer off."  
"Maybe."

Daybreak; the weather was still foul. In addition to the clouds and wind it was now raining steadily. The seas had increased to three meters; they had slowed to twenty five klicks to avoid overstressing the ship. Their companion was sailing serenely along behind them, about five klicks away.

The patrol boat had showed up during the night. Strange; they looked over the other ship, and the "Kazakh" as well, but veered off without saying a word to anyone. Shimonoseki didn't answer, either, but that wasn't too unusual. The captain's scowl grew deeper still. Their friend wasn't openly hostile, since the patrol boat didn't take exception to them, but they could just be waiting for the right opportunity.

By nightfall the seas had increased to four meters, the wind had increased to gale force, and the rain was coming down in torrents. They had slowed to ten klicks, just enough to make headway. And still the other ship followed them. Closer now; about two klicks, although bows on it still couldn't be identified. Looked like an older sailing ship, though how one of those could keep up with them was a mystery.

By midnight the storm was blowing full force. They were barely making headway, just hoping to ride it out. Their companion was no more than half a klick away, although barely visible in the conditions.

"Captain!"  
"What?"  
"He's overtaking us!"  
"How the … hard to port!"  
"Hard to port, aye." The pilot put the helm hard over; the other ship sailed by their starboard side, close enough to reach out and touch.

The captain was beside himself. "Get that fool's name and registration number! He nearly rammed us!"  
The lookout, who had been staring at the other ship through his binoculars, spoke up. "No registration visible. Ship is the "Kerala", out of Magadan."  
"Impossible. First, you see it?"  
The first officer turned and looked at him. "That is what her nameplate said, sir."

Dead silence as the four men looked at each other.

The storm let up just as they were steaming into Shientsen. Fortunately the "Kazakh" had brought them through again; never were they happier to make port, though. After tying up the ship and taking care of the docking fees all hands repaired to the nearest tavern, where, over the largest of beers, they told their curious tale.

"Strange."  
"You're telling me."  
The old salt looked at the assembled crew. "You know the story?"  
Some did, some didn't. "Go ahead."

"The Kerala made that run for thirty years, about a hundred years ago. Long before my time, anyway. Till her misbegotten captain drove her full speed into a storm; never found a trace of her afterwards."  
"Ever since, every few years, somebody sights her; always in the middle of a storm. And every time they do, their ship goes down, never to be seen again. Until you saw her last night."

It was a quiet trip home. Everyone moved as if in a dream, as if their companion would reappear to take them to the bottom. The weather was clear and calm; no sign of other ships.

"Captain, signal from Shimonoseki." The radioman held out the message.  
"Go ahead, read it."  
"One of their patrol boats went missing. Three nights ago; right after it looked over the "Kerala"."  
"I'll be damned."


	10. Chapter 11 Factions and Territories

**PRESENT DAY FACTIONS**

**Chinese (Jin Wei)**

Residents of northeastern China, they are mostly peasants, although a small fraction are craftsmen, soldiers, or upper class. They tolerate Oni and ghouls, but are hostile to Japanese.

**Chinese (Manchurian)**

Residents of Manchuria, these chafe under Japanese rule. They tolerate ghouls and are friendly to Oni, with whom they sometimes make common cause.

**Koreans**

Residents of Korea, they have a better lot than native Chinese, but still are not on an equal footing with their Japanese rulers, which causes resentment. Koreans tolerate all others.

**Japanese (Native)**

Japanese born in Japan regard themselves as above all others, which earns them considerable resentment. They tolerate other Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese, and are hostile to Oni and ghouls.

**Japanese (Emigrant)**

Japanese born outside Japan regard themselves as the equal of other Japanese and superior to all others, which causes them to be widely resented. In turn they resent the condescension shown them by native Japanese. They are hostile to Oni and ghouls and tolerant of all others.

**Ghouls**

Humans exposed to large amounts of radiation will, in most cases, die. A very few, however, instead become ghouls. Many of them lose all mental capacity and become mindless predators, which gives ghouls a poor reputation. By 2270 most humans have learned to differentiate between feral and intelligent ghouls and tolerate the latter. Ghouls in turn tolerate humans and are friendly to Oni.

**Oni**

Descended from heavily mutated humans, according to popular belief, Oni stand roughly seven feet tall and have light tan to dark brown skin with a peculiar purplish tone to it. Their hair is usually dark brown or black with the same distinct purplish tone.

Oni are as intelligent as humans. Oni tolerate humans, except Japanese, and are usually friendly toward ghouls, with whom they often make common cause. Oni are hostile to Japanese, although currently at peace with them.

**TERRITORIES**

**Jin Wei**

Comprising a hundred thousand square miles of northeastern China, including the former capital of Beijing, Jin Wei is a military dictatorship ruled from the city of the same name, roughly fifty miles southeast of Beijing. With a population of fifty million it is one of the more heavily populated areas of the world. An average per capita income of fifty yuan also makes it one of the poorest. Ninety five percent of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, with most of the remainder employed as craftsmen or merchants.

Jin Wei's army is poorly equipped and trained by most standards, but is still better off than the peasantry, so morale is high. Most are dutiful, but there are some who take advantage of their position to exact tribute from the peasantry.

There are populations of bandits, concentrated in cities and frontier regions. Most prey on travelers and merchants. The army tries to suppress them, but given the endemic poverty of most of Jin Wei's people that is a hopeless task.

Slavers are rumored to exist, operating on the border between Jin Wei and the Oni state. Rumor has it that they carry off farmers and other unfortunates to be sold in markets in Oni territory, but no one has seen any proof of this.

Although officially at peace with the Japanese Jin Wei's border with Manchuria sees constant skirmishing, as both sides continually seek advantage. Unusually, Jin Wei officially recognizes the Oni state, something no other nation has seen fit to do.

**Manchuria**

Manchuria is a part of the Empire of Japan. Ruled by native Japanese with the assistance of emigrant Japanese, the resentful population of Chinese and ghouls is nevertheless the region's most productive. Even though they are treated little better than serfs they enjoy an average per capita income of three hundred yuan. At ten million the population is large enough to sustain considerable industry; mining and manufacturing are flourishing here. The only fly in the ointment is the situation on the western and southern borders; the low level conflict with Jin Wei and the Oni state is a constant drain on resources. Banditry, especially on the northern border, is also a constant nuisance.

These concerns are minor. The Japanese armed forces are the best trained and equipped in the region, well able to handle any challenge which comes their way. The loss of northwest Manchuria in the war against the Oni led to a complete reappraisal of training and tactics; if such a war were to recur the Japanese would be much better prepared.

**The Oni State**

The Oni State was formed by the Oni roughly one hundred years ago. They have, in view of Japanese hostility, refused to reveal details of it to anyone. This includes the location of their capital, which they believe would come under Japanese attack if its location were known. Jin Wei is, so far, the only nation to have given them official recognition.

Comprising roughly the area of the Greater Khinggan mountains, Inner Mongolia, and northwest Manchuria, the latter a recent conquest from the Japanese, it covers roughly fifty thousand square miles. The total population is unknown, but is believed to number roughly one million. The average per capita income is also unknown, but estimated to be about one hundred fifty yuan. The Oni are definitely in charge, with other races in subordinate positions.

The Oni armed forces are, unusually, entirely composed of Oni. Although their equipment is not equal to the Japanese they compensate by being larger, tougher, and more numerous in the field; their training is every bit as good as the Japanese.


	11. Chapter 10 Fallout Timeline

FALLOUT TIMELINE

2050 - North Korean leader suffers mental breakdown; no clear successor emerges.

2051 - North Korean civil war begins.

2052 - Chinese intervene in North Korea, establishing 'protectorate'. US, Japan, and South Korea protest, but take no action.

2053 - North Korean civil war ends. Half of population dead from war and related causes; country is devastated.

2054 - South Korea and Japan ally. In practice Japan establishes 'protectorate' of South Korea. Japanese troops garrison DMZ, alongside US and South Koreans.

2056 - Russian economy collapses. Japan buys northern Sakhalin and Kuriles for 10 trillion yen, preventing total Russian collapse.

2057 - Russian - Chinese treaty. Chinese gain Siberian bases in exchange for economic aid.

2060 - Russian economy recovers. Chinese assistance ends. Russia demands return of Siberian bases; China refuses.

2061- 2063 - Russian - Chinese war. Russia defeated, cedes eastern Siberia and Outer Mongolia to China.

2064 - 2065 - Multiple incidents in Bering Sea and elsewhere raise tension between US and China to boiling point.

2066 - US - Chinese war begins. China invades Alaska.

2067 - Chinese forces turned back at Anchorage.

2073 - Last Chinese forces driven from Alaska.

2076 - US invades China.

2077 - War culminates in nuclear exchange. US and China virtually destroyed, most other countries heavily damaged. World economy collapses. World population declines from seven billion people in 2077 to little more than three billion twenty years later.

2085 - Japanese economy on brink of collapse, due to shortages of raw materials. The Japanese government decides to exert direct control over resource producing areas; the Japanese begin expanding their territory.

2090 - Japan establishes Manchurian 'protectorate'.

2095 - Japan occupies eastern Siberia.

2100 - Japan formally annexes Korea (both North and South).

2110 - Japanese establish Manchurian puppet state, with native troops. First appearance of Oni, in Greater Khinggan mountains bordering Mongolia and Manchuria.

2120 - First appearance of ghouls. Both Chinese and Japanese persecute them, believing them to be mindless cannibals. Intelligent ghouls establish communities in former urban areas, where radiation levels are too high for humans.

2130 - 2150 - China coalesces into separate states; most are ruled by military dictators. Japanese expansion halts; increasing incursions by hostile Oni and border conflicts with Russians and Chinese keep them fully occupied.

2140 - Japanese order deportation of all intelligent non-humans from their territory. Decree is widely ignored.

2160 - Jin Wei (northeastern China) makes peace with Oni, ceding control of Inner Mongolia to them. De facto establishment of Oni state.

2170 - Japanese rescind deportation decree, establish 'exclusion zones'. Some zones exclude humans, some exclude non-humans. Again decree is widely evaded.

2180 - 2230 - Ghouls become tolerated in Chinese society, although regarded as second class. Active persecution ceases.

2241 - Japanese declare war on Oni, attempt to drive them from Khinggan mountains.

2242 - Japanese are heavily defeated, retreat from Khinggan range. Oni invade northeast Manchuria, capturing ruins of Harbin.

2243 - Oni driven from Harbin, offer peace. Japanese accept.

2270 - Present day.


End file.
